Sneaking Seeley's Cell Phone
by MightyMorphingPomegranate
Summary: Hannah grows suspicious of her boyfriend's late night texting. Set during "Couple in a Cave", 6x02. Rated T for language.
1. Chapter 1

**This takes place sometime during the course of "The Couple in the Cave" 6x02**

... ... ... ... ...

A sharp trill resonated from his cell phone on the nightstand. Hannah let out a sleepy groan as Seeley pulled away from her to read the text, letting cool air seep between them. She squinted blearily into the dark as the ghostly light cast shadows on the walls of his bedroom. "Who's that, babe?"

He didn't answer, seemingly distracted by the message on his screen. Hannah turned her body towards him. The clock gleamed a red 2:04 am.

"Seeley?" she tried again. His thumbs were quickly moving across the keyboard, formulating his reply, but he had the phone angled away from her slightly so she couldn't see the screen. "Who is texting you so late?"

"It's work, baby. Go back to sleep." Hannah sighed and slipped her body into the circle of his outstretched arm, laying her head on his shoulder. He moved the phone to his other hand so she still couldn't see the message. _Is he doing that on purpose?_ She closed her eyes. Seeley turned the phone on vibrate and laid it on his chest, obviously waiting for a response. Hannah could feel his heart thumping against her cheek, a brisker tempo than normal.

"Is everything alright?" she murmured. In Afghanistan, he had never gotten texts in the middle of the night.

"Yeah, it's fine." He stroked his fingers up and down her naked back, lulling her back to sleep. Hannah had almost dozed off again when his phone buzzed, twice, louder than it should be in the quiet of his dark apartment. She startled at the sound.

"Ughh, Seeley," she pouted, "it's the middle of the night." Once again, he didn't answer. She leaned her head back to look at his face. His eyes were darting back and forth quickly as he read the message, concern evident in the growing crease between his eyebrows.

"Shhh, it's nothing," he said distractedly. Irritated, Hannah turned away from him and huffed out a sigh. She tried to relax, but she could feel Seeley's tension next to her, and the unnaturally bright light of his phone wasn't helping anything.

"I'm gonna go out to the living room for a minute," he whispered, placing a kiss on the nape of her neck. She knew he couldn't see her face, but Hannah rolled her eyes anyway. "Seeley," she whined.

"I'll be right back." She could hear him gathering his clothes from the floor and pulling them on. He closed the bedroom door as he left.

_Who is he talking to?_ She wondered, perturbed by his secrecy. She sat up in bed, listening intently. After a few seconds she heard the low rumble of his voice through the door. He was obviously making a phone call. She expected his tone to be curt and professional like it usually was when he made business calls. This time, though, his voice was sensitive, almost soothing. His words sounded muddled. After ten minutes or so, she couldn't take it anymore. She tiptoed out of bed and moved closer to the door, hoping to catch what he was saying.

"I know, sweetheart." His words were warm, dripping with affection. "It'll be okay, it's all over now," he said tenderly. Hannah's heart was pounding. _Is he talking to a woman? _she wondered. Surely, not. Seeley didn't strike her as the kind of man to cheat on his girlfriend. But a gooey phone call in the middle of the night? She sat back on the bed, her mind racing. _I'll just ask him about it like a damn grown up, _she decided. There was no point in sneaking around. Obviously he loved her. She going to move in with him, for god's sake.

Hannah heard his footsteps moving back towards the bedroom. The door swung open, slowly and silently. A small smile curved his lips. Seeley was typing again, sending another text. He looked surprised to see her awake, sitting wrapped in a sheet on the bed.

"Who was that?" she asked, careful to make her voice sound casual and not accusatory.

"Oh, just Parker," he said, rubbing his eyes tiredly. "He had a nightmare."

"Oh," Hannah said, keeping her suspicions to herself. She hadn't met Seeley's son yet. Maybe he was telling the truth. "I thought you said it was work."

Seeley got into bed and pulled her back to him, kissing her shoulder. "The texts were from work, but then Parker called."

Hannah was amazed at the ease with which he lied to her. She was almost certain that he was the one who had made the call. Did he think that she was too sleepy to remember the course of events? Obviously believing he had placated her, Seeley relaxed, burying his face in her hair.

Hannah laid awake for a long time. Her mind was racing, putting the pieces together. Only when Seeley had turned onto his back and was snoring lightly did Hannah make her move. Slowly, she maneuvered out from under his arm. She gently reached over him and lifted the phone off of his nightstand. She felt a little guilty about this invasion into his privacy, but the twisting feeling in her stomach propelled her onward.

Opening up his text messages, she saw that the last one had been from "Bones." _Temperance,_ she thought, irritated. Technically, he _did_ work with her. But when Hannah read the conversation that transpired between them, she knew it had nothing to do with business.

... ... ... ... ...

2:04 - _I'm sorry to text so late. I hope I didn't wake you or Hannah. I just can't sleep. I'm having that nightmare again._

_..._

_No, I'm awake. It's no problem. Gravedigger? - _2:04

...

2:07 - _T__he man from the foster home. _

2:07 - _Never mind. __I'm __sorry, Booth. I'll be fine. I didn't mean to disturb your evening._

_..._

_Really, it's fine. I'm happy to talk to you. I'm sorry about your nightmare. He can never ever get to you again. -_2:08

_Bones?_ \- 2:11

_ Can I call you? _-2:12

...

2:12 - _Yes_

...

2:35 - _Thank you, Booth. I've really missed you these past months._

_..._

_I missed you too, Bones. More than you can imagine. Text me if you wake up again, ok? _2:36

...

2:36 - _Goodnight :)_

_..._

_Night -_2:36

... ... ... ... ...

Hannah's stomach churned with unease. She had only met Temperance once, but she knew already that she didn't like her. She resisted the urge to wake Seeley and demand an explanation. She would wait, she decided, and collect more proof. The one thing Hannah knew for sure was that she did _not_ want her boyfriend spending any more time than absolutely necessary with his gorgeous partner. As far as she was concerned, Temperance Brennan was the competition. _Keep your friends close and your enemies closer_, she thought grimly. She was going to have to befriend the bitch.

... ... ... ... ...

**Just a little idea I had. I think I have enough for at least one more chapter. I typed it quick, so let me know if you spot any errors. Please review and let me know what you think!**


	2. Chapter 2

... ... ... ... ...

"So he plays baseball and football. What else does he like?" Hannah asked, stealing a bite of Seeley's pie from his plate.

"Hockey. And science, he _loves_ science."

Hannah laughed, surprised by the proud look on Seeley's face. "Really? I never would have thought that any child of _yours _would have an interest in academics," she teased playfully.

"Well, Bones should probably get the credit for that," he admitted, an affectionate smile on his face. "Parker idolizes her." _Oh, great, another way I have to measure up to Temperance. _It irked her that their conversations seemed to so often end up on the topic of the awkward, but beautiful, anthropologist. _And genius, crime-fighting, best-selling novelist, _she added snidely to herself.

"She enrolled him in a science club at the Jeffersonian. They blow stuff up and everything." Seeley gestured with his fork, his eyes wide. "He _loves_ it."

"Do you have any more pictures of him?" Hannah asked, hoping to turn the conversation away from (_gag) _'Bones'.

"Yeah, yeah, let me show you." He reached into a pocket on the inside of his jacket and withdrew his cell phone. After poking at the screen for several seconds, Booth turned the phone and placed it in Hannah's hands. Brown eyes, so much like his father's, smiled up at her from beneath a head of golden curls. His arms were held up in a muscle-man pose.

"Aww, Seeley," Hannah admired. "God, he looks so much like you."

"You think?" Seeley smiled, pride practically oozing out of him. "Look at the one before it," he directed, reaching over the phone and swiping to the previous picture. Parker was standing in a basketball court, balancing a spinning ball on one finger. His face was scrunched up in intense focus. "He's getting really good at that," Booth chuckled.

Hannah went to swipe to another picture, but she paused. "May I?" she asked, motioning with her finger.

"Yeah, sure," Seeley nodded, seemingly elated that she was taking an interest in his son. He stood up and moved around to the other side of the table, taking a seat next to Hannah and draping his arm along the back of her chair.

They flipped through several photos together. Seeley's eyes lit up without fail at every new photo. He quite obviously adored his son. Hannah worried that she wouldn't be able to fit into his little family, but she was willing to try.

Seeley laughed out loud when they reached a photo of Parker and Temperance laying on the grass, both propped up by their elbows, looking at what appeared to be an ant hill. Temperance's nose was wrinkled and her mouth was open as if she were talking. Parker was staring at the insects, enthralled. "They watched some ants carry a french fry all the way to the ant hill," Seeley explained, his eyes warm with the memory. "Parker couldn't believe how such little bugs could be so strong."

Wordlessly, Hannah moved on to the next photo, not wanting to dwell on the fact that Temperance apparently spent time with Seeley and his son outside of work. The next photo was of Parker and Seeley in the diner at the exact table where they were currently sitting. "Hey!" Hannah laughed at the coincidence. There was a slice of cake with a lit birthday candle sitting on the table in front of the boys. "I had missed his birthday party because of a case," Seeley explained remorsefully. Hannah wondered briefly who was taking the photo, but moved to the next photo before she could think too much of it. "I can't wait to meet him," she said instead.

After flipping through several more pictures of her boyfriend and his son, Hannah came to one that she wasn't expecting. Parker wasn't there. There was no one in the photo but Temperance, grinning lightheartedly at the person behind the camera. She was dressed casually, her hair pulled up into a pony tail. Hannah's stomach dropped when she recognized Seeley's kitchen in the background. Looking closer, she noticed that Temperance had some sort of icing smeared across her cheek.

"What's going on here?" she asked Seeley cautiously. He was smiling, but there was almost a sadness in his eyes as he studied the picture. "Wow, I forgot that was on here. Pops was teaching her how to make moon pies." Without any further explanation, he flicked to the next photo.

Seeley's photo album was filled almost entirely with pictures of his son. Hannah felt a growing unease. She had never been good with kids. She listened as Seeley lovingly recounted the story behind each picture, but her eyes kept surreptitiously flicking to the clock on wall. Her boredom ceased abruptly as Seeley landed on a picture of himself and Dr. Brennan that made Hannah's mouth fall open in shock.

Seeley wore a fedora and suspenders, his dress shirt open. A gold chain hung around his neck. Temperance looked _sexy_ as hell. She had on way more makeup than Hannah had ever seen her wear and a tight little black dress. Seeley's arm was outstretched, aiming the phone back at them. _"Damn,_ Seeley! You guys look... smokin' hot. Were you on a date?" she asked tentatively.

Hannah was annoyed by Booth's laughter and appreciative smile. "No, no, not a date. We were undercover in Vegas," he said, eyes twinkling. Hannah wished she could reach in his brain and scrape out whatever memory was making him grin like that.

"Well, damn. Must have been a... _fun _case."

"Yeah, it was awesome. Bones was incredible, I never knew she could act like that. I was hesitant, you know, about bringing a squint undercover, but she totally hit it out of the park."

Hannah leaned away from him, looking back at him warily. "I bet she did."

Seeley raised his eyebrows at Hannah's behavior. "Oh, babe, it was nothing like that. Bones and I are just partners."

"Really?" she queried, "There's never been anything between you two?"

Seeley scoffed, "God, no. I mean, it's Bones. We work together."

Hannah nodded, unconvinced, but veiled her feelings for now. That sat for a moment in a somewhat uncomfortable silence.

Seeley stood up, sliding his phone back into his pocket and tossing some money down onto the table. "Well, I actually should be getting back. Hacker'll be pissed if I don't get my report on the Gary Nesbitt case turned in by tonight." He offered a hand to Hannah, pulling her up out of her chair and to his chest. He kissed her, hands anchoring her to himself by her hips.

"And we wouldn't want that, would we?" Hannah purred, running her hand down his tie. She winked at him as she pulled away. "See you tonight."

_There is definitely something fishy about Temperance Brennan, _Hannah thought as she walked. Well, they didn't give her those Peabody awards for nothing. She flipped her hair behind her shoulders. Hannah Burley would get to the bottom of it. Hannah Burley is second to nobody, not even the world-renowned Dr. Temperance Brennan.

... ... ... ... ...

**There's more to come... Let me know what you think!**


	3. Chapter 3

... ... ... ... ...

"I don't think they really like me," she admitted to the woman next to her at the bar. Hannah's eyes rested on a table near the window where Angela and Temperance sat. It was a well-worn trick of hers: she acted vulnerable to gain the sympathy of her prey and then attacked when they weren't expecting it. She let them take pity on her, believing that they had the upper hand, and then it was like taking candy from a baby. Hannah had a feeling that Daisy Wick wouldn't be a tough nut to crack.

"Well, you're kinda walking in on the greatest love story ever told, if you know what I mean," Daisy said, looking over at Hannah out of the sides of her eyes and giggling. She couldn't hold her liquor quite as well as Hannah.

She feigned ignorance. "And what exactly _do _you mean?"

"Well... Lance would probably say that it's not my place to divulge information like that," she said, shaking her head.

"Between Seeley and Temperance. Am I right?" she said, almost pathetically.

Daisy rolled her lips in, wincing. "I am really really not good at secrets." She lifted a finger into the air. "We're not a couple, by the way, in case you're wondering... Kind of like Agent Booth and Dr. Brennan _aren't _a couple," she added with a suggestive smile.

"So they were together once?"

"No, I don't think so. But Lance wrote an entire book about how much they love-" she shook her head again. "No, I really _really_ shouldn't tell you about that. Lance shouldn't have even told me about that, to be honest. But I was with Dr. Brennan in Indonesia and- Oh god, shut _up_, Daisy!"

"Does she love him?"

"You know what? You should just read her books. Those'll give you all the answers you need."

Hannah was taken aback. "Her books? What do you mean? I thought her books were fictional."

"Well, Lance says that writers reveal much more than they intend to through their work, and Dr. Brennan, though brilliant, _definitely _revealed some majorly juicy feelings about Agent Hunky there." She clapped her hand over her mouth. "Oh, sorry, I shouldn't have said that. I am making such a _fool_ out of myself." She stood up, holding onto the bar to steady herself. "I'm just gonna go find Lance now." She wobbled over to the where the men sat gathered around a small television set, watching a baseball game and drinking beers.

Seeley turned and smiled at Hannah. She knew how badly he wanted her to get along with his friends, _who are duller than dull_, she thought to herself. He kept sneaking glances between her and Brennan. Hannah suspected that he was disappointed that she was socializing with Daisy and not Temperance. She groaned inwardly. This was _not_ her idea of a fun Friday night. His friends were all either geeky or creepy. Or some combination of both.

Hannah took her drink and went to go sit with Angela and Temperance again. Angela didn't see her approaching, and Hannah caught the end of what she was saying. "Sweetie, I _know_ you, this is what you do when it gets too intense. You shut down and try to _logic_ your way out of it. You're hard-core panicking right now. You _know _that it's more than chemicals-" Temperance laid her hand on Angela's, silencing her, and greeted Hannah.

"Hannah! Did you find something to drink?" Hannah grinned, holding up glass. It felt like high school, except this time _she_ was the outcast trying to sit at the cheerleader's table.

"Ahh, Long Island Iced Tea, huh?" Angela smirked. "I had you pegged for a margarita kinda girl." For some reason, Hannah felt like Angela was insulting her. A small exchange passed between them, as if Hannah were sizing her up and Angela was challenging her.

"I like margaritas," Temperance offered.

Angela rolled her eyes. "Don't we all?"

Hannah laughed and sat down. "Daisy sure is a chatty drunk, isn't she?" she joked.

"Miss Wick is chatty when she is sober, as well as inebriated," Brennan smiled affectionately. "It annoyed me at first, but I find that I feel more fondness towards her in light of our time shared in the Malukus." Her eyes darted across the room to Seeley. "She was a good friend."

"She recommended your books to me," Hannah said evenly with eyebrows raised. Angela looked away awkwardly and rubbed her neck.

Temperance considered. "Yes, I think you would find them an enjoyable read. I have received much positive feedback and have sold them all quite successfully."

Hannah laughed, "So I've heard. Although, I must say, your modesty is refreshing."

Brennan brightened. "Thank you. My publisher has been encouraging me to present myself with more modesty." She ducked her head. "She thinks I can come off as arrogant. In reality, my books are undeniably excellent. I have been on the New York Times best sellers list for nearly four consecutive years."

Hannah had to choke back a gag. _God, how can Seeley possibly be attracted to this weirdo?_ Temperance was so _dull_. Hannah tried to imagine her in bed, in the throes of passion, but she couldn't imagine Brennan being uninhibited in the least. _She probably just lays there and recites the dictionary, _she thought smugly.

"Well, I'm looking forward to reading them," Hannah smiled.

The conversation labored on awkwardly like a wounded bear in a thicket. Hannah was constantly aware of the way Temperance followed Seeley with her eyes. He went into the restrooms at one point and Brennan physically angled her body towards the door, as if she couldn't stand to be apart from him.

"So... I bet you guys are constantly having to befriend Seeley's girlfriends, aren't you?"

"No, actually, Booth usually keeps his women away from us," Angela answered, smiling knowingly. _This one is going to cause a problem_, Hannah thought as she considered Angela.

"Well, really, Ange, we don't have enough evidence to support that conclusion. Booth hasn't really had a girlfriend since Tessa, and we had just started working together at that point, so it was natural that she didn't socialize with us. She also hated me."

Angela smiled cockily. "She _did_ hate you. I think she was jealous." She subtly shot a look at Hannah. "What about Catherine?"

"No, Catherine and Booth had barely entered into a social contract before he decided to stop seeing her. _Your_ social contract," she gestured at Hannah, "is much more established. For all we know, this could be normal behavior for him."

"I'm sure it means you're special, babe," Angela patted Hannah's hand reassuringly. Hannah wanted to slap the smug smile right off of her face.

"Hmm, interesting," she shrugged.

In all honesty, it bothered her that Seeley hadn't had a serious girlfriend since he started working with Temperance. He had only made vague references to the women previously in his life, with the exception of Rebecca, Parker's mom.

Their heads turned as Daisy and the men approached their table, sliding chairs back and taking their seats. Seeley sat next to Hannah and pulled her close. She could smell beer on his breath. The rest of the evening passed easily enough. Hannah relaxed in Seeley's presence and tried not to read too much into the way that his gaze lingered lazily on Temperance across the table.

... ... ... ... ...

"That Angela's a feisty one," Hannah began casually.

Seeley snorted as he pulled off his tie and draped it over the rack in his closet. "Why do you say that?"

"I don't think she likes me."

"Nah, that's ridiculous," he replied as he waved her off.

"It's like she's almost _protecting_ Temperance from me. Like she thinks I'd hurt her or something." Hannah plopped down cross legged onto the bed and pulled a pillow onto her lap.

"Why would she think that?" _Ahh_, Hannah thought,_ here's Special Agent Booth, the investigator. _She knew Seeley was a professional. But so was she.

"I think Temperance has feelings for you," she suggested flirtatiously.

Booth balked. "What, no. No, I don't think so. Believe me, Bones does _not_ have feelings for me."

"Well, I wouldn't blame her if she did. I mean, _look_ at you!" Hannah leaned forward and pinched his rear. Booth smiled and swatted her hand away, hanging his suit back up in the closet.

"I don't think I'm her type."

"She's a lesbian, isn't she," Hannah probed, even though she knew it wasn't true.

Seeley spun around. "What? No! Why would you think that?"

"You're just very adamant that she could never have feelings for you, which makes me think that maybe you're _really_ not her type."

"Well, it's Bones. She's... different. And she's got a lot going on." The way he said it reminded Hannah of the text messages she read on his phone.

"She was abused as a kid, wasn't she? That's why she's so frigid and distant."

Seeley's jaw tightened. For a brief moment, Hannah was worried that he was angry.

He took a deep breath. "I'll let her tell you about that if she chooses to do so. And she's not _frigid_. You just have to get to know her."

She nodded, taking note of his defensiveness and accepting his decision. She decided to take her questioning in a different direction. "You have her books, right?"

"Bones' books?"

"Yeah. Who else? Do you have another friend who's been on the New York Times best sellers list for _'nearly four consecutive years'_?"

Booth laughed, his eyes crinkling with affection as he tossed his socks into the clothes hamper. "Did she tell you that?"

"That and more," Hannah said with a smile that _didn't_ crinkle her eyes.

"I honestly don't think you would like her books," he said, suddenly uneasy. "Besides, I'm not sure where my copies are."

Hannah's eyes darted to the shelf at the bottom of his nightstand. "There's one," she pointed.

"Oh, right. Well, read them if you want, I guess, but they're not really your thing." He slid under the covers and laid his head back.

"You don't think murder, adventure, and a steamy love story is my thing?"

Booth shrugged. "Whatever. I guess if you're bored..." he trailed off. "What's with all the questions about Bones, anyways?"

Hannah laid down next to him and snaked an arm over his abdomen. "She's your best friend. I am just trying to glean as much information about Special Agent Seeley Booth as I can." She nuzzled his ear and settled down against his chest.

_Interesting_, Hannah thought as they both pretended to sleep.

... ... ... ... ...

**Whoo, doggy... This was a long chapter for me. Thanks for all of the feedback so far! It's fun to imagine Hannah squirming with jealousy, isn't it?**

**It would make my day if you reviewed! :)**


	4. Chapter 4

The last thing Hannah wanted to do after a long day was talk about Temperance. Sometimes Seeley was irritated, and Hannah had to listen to him vent about all of the careless, frustrating things she had done that day. Sometimes, like tonight, he could barely keep the dopey smile off his face. He had been gushing all evening about how _great_ she had been on the stupid Science Dude show, about how far it was out of her comfort zone and how natural she had seemed. Now he was recounting _word for freaking word_ a conversation that Hannah couldn't care less about.

"So she seriously planned the perfect murder! Let me tell you what, if anyone could get away with it, it's Bones. Not even her own squints would be able to pin in to her. But seriously, who does that?" He tossed a piece of popcorn chicken into the air and caught it in his mouth.

"Hmm. Sounds creepy. She's strange, babe." Hannah sipped her wine.

"Yeah, but I'd catch her," he nodded, smiling. "I know where she would go, how she would get there, and what she would do when she got there."

"Yeah, but you'd never actually arrest her."

Booth snorted. "Please. I've arrested her before. She shot someone." Seeing Hannah's surprise, he explained, "It was self-defense, but she didn't even warn the guy."

Hannah raised her eyebrows. "I find myself liking Temperance more and more," she muttered, earning a hearty guffaw and a kiss from her boyfriend. It was a lie.

... ... ... ... ...

Things were fine for awhile. Seeley didn't get any more texts in the middle of the night. He seemed really happy, and that made Hannah happy. The sex was fantastic, _fan__-freaking-tastic._ It was an adventure, playing house with Seeley Booth. He doted on her. He was an incredible cook, and he always had dinner waiting if he was home before she was. He sent her flirty, filthy text messages all day long, which made work slightly more bearable, because, admittedly, work was boring. But having him all to herself was so worth it.

Except that she was realizing more and more that she didn't have him all to herself. He had a photograph of Temperance and himself on his dresser. In their _bedroom_. Hannah felt like Dr. Brennan was watching them get freaky at night. So. Weird. But Seeley got all bent out of shape when she asked him to move it someplace else. Eventually he just put it away in a box at the bottom of his closet.

Sometimes he would wake up in the middle of the night, shaking and drenched in sweat, and he would just leave. No explanation, no goodbye. She would watch from the window as he climbed into his SUV and drove away. She followed him once to the Lincoln memorial. He just sat on the steps and wept, shuddering sobs reverberating off the cool marble.

Something was changing. She noticed it in their relationship and in his relationship with Temperance. Dr. Brennan was _polite_ with Seeley but overly-friendly with Hannah. She even handed over her sunglasses at Hannah's joking suggestion.

Hannah wondered if Temperance would relinquish Seeley so easily.

... ... ... ... ...

"You sure you don't want any fries, Bones?" It was the third time he had offered.

"Seeley," Hannah began, annoyed, "She said she didn't want any. Can you let it go?"

He glanced at Hannah briefly, but then his gaze was right back on Temperance. They did this thing, she had noticed, where they communicated with just their eyes. It was like they had a language all their own. They were so synchronous, so attuned to the other, that Hannah felt like she was barging in on something she shouldn't see. It almost seemed intimate, and she felt embarrassed watching them, which annoyed her even more.

Thankfully, Temperance broke the silence. "No, thank you. My salad is quite satisfying and much healthier."

The tension between them was palpable.

"You two have an argument or something?" Brennan looked down into her salad. Seeley cleared his throat before saying, "No, we're fine."

"So, Seeley," Hannah began in an effort to change the subject, "I've been thinking about that case you told me about, where you two went undercover in Vegas." Temperance's eyes shot up to Booth's before she could reign in the accusation in her glare. Seeley subtly apologized with his face. "Anyways," Hannah continued, "I thought it would fun for me and you to head up to Atlantic City next weekend. We could dress up, play some cards or something, win some money? I thought it would be fun."

Brennan's mouth dropped open and she scowled at Hannah. "That is a _terrible_-"

Seeley silenced her with a tilt of his head and a sharp look.

"Yeah, Hannah, maybe. I'll have to check my schedule," he said casually.

_What was that about?_ Hannah wondered.

Brennan stood up, pulling her messenger bag over her shoulder. "I need to head back to the Jeffersonian," she said formally, with a curt smile. "Thank you for inviting me to lunch."

She laid a few bills down onto the table. Booth picked them up and tried to hand them back to her. "Bones, I can get it. You paid last time." She didn't take the money from him. "I can pay for myself, Booth," she said cooly. Seeley narrowed his eyes in irritation.

"So, I guess I'll just pick you up at the lab in an hour or so? We still have to go talk to Dorlan's brother."

"Actually, I have some more evidence to catalogue. There are still several fractures on the ilium that I would like to reexamine at a higher magnification. Maybe you can talk to the brother alone and brief me later." She turned on her heel before the last word had faded from her lips.

"Right," Seeley sighed. He watched Temperance leave and walk around the corner.

... ... ... ... ...

"So what's really going on with you and Temperance?"

"What? Nothing, nothing's going on. Why would you think that?"

"Calm down, big guy. I meant the french fry thing and the awkwardness. Something's obviously going on."

He sighed. "It's just... She's acting kind of strange today. Off. And we can't have off days in our line of work. We can't. If we're not in synch, if one of us slips- it could cost us our lives."

"Do you think it's because of me?"

"No, no, of course not," he lied so easily. _Does he think I'm blind? _"She does this thing when she's upset... worse than bottling it all up. She turns everything off. She drains all of the emotion out of a situation and replaces it with logic. It's good sometimes, you know, like when she's examining a victim's remains or if we're in danger out in the field. She can keep a clear head. But..."

"But not now," Hannah supplied. He shook his head. "So you just have to figure out what's upsetting her?"

His knuckles were white on the steering wheel. "She doesn't usually shut me out. She used to, in the beginning of our partnership. I just- I thought she trusted me now, but it's like we went backwards five years. She won't talk to me. Like all of that, everything we've been through together, never happened."

"She told me you two are quite close." Seeley's eyes jerked over to her, alarmed. "By necessity," Hannah added.

"Oh, well, yeah. We are, or at least we _were._"

"I'm sorry, baby," she said gently, but on the inside she was rejoicing triumphantly. It was her secret hope that Seeley would dissolve his partnership with Dr. Brennan. Maybe apply for that promotion he had mentioned in passing. A desk job, fat paycheck, and no Temperance? That sounded like bliss to Hannah.

They drove in silence for a long while. They were nearing Hannah's building when he spoke again. "I had no idea she was even listening when I mentioned wanting a phone like that," he said, almost to himself. Hannah's eyes flashed at the reference to her house-warming gift from weeks earlier.

She saw an opportunity to steer the conversation back in her favor and jumped at it. "I finished her first novel last night."

"Oh?" Seeley turned his head and looked at her apprehensively. "Did you... like it?"

"I thought it was... enlightening." She turned to gaze out of the window at the buildings they were passing by.

"Oh," he said awkwardly when she didn't elaborate further. Hannah was definitely picking up on some panic in his voice.

"I started the second one this morning."

He swallowed audibly. "That's good."

"It's dedicated to you," she said softly.

Booth chuckled nervously, "Yeah, I know." He pulled in front of the White House Press Corps building and slowed to a stop. Hannah finally turned to look at him, satisfied to see the apprehension on his face.

"See you tonight," she said with her signature wink.

... ... ... ... ...


	5. Chapter 5

**I would like to thank Cooper Trooper, who reviewed after yesterday's chapter, for suggesting that I include Parker in the story somehow. The next chapter I had planned was about to move into some heavier stuff, so I thought that this was the appropriate time for some Baby Booth in their lives. :) Thanks, Cooper Trooper!**

... ... ... ... ...

When Hannah got home that night, Seeley was taking a shower.

She collapsed onto their bed with a sigh and watched the steam billow out of the bathroom. She reached for her copy of _Cross Bones_, Dr. Brennan's second novel. As she ran her finger over the metallic letters embossed onto the spine of the book, she shook her head. For such a brilliant scientist, Temperance was pathetically transparent in her books. Hannah could match almost every character to a real person in Brennan's life. And there was no doubt who Kathy's partner, Agent Andy Lister, was supposed to be. She got him one hundred percent right, even down to his socks. The way she described him made Hannah's heart beat quicker.

She flipped the book open to the dedication page.

_This book is dedicated to my partner and friend,  
__Special Agent Seeley Booth._

She had signed this copy for Seeley and written a little note underneath the dedication.

_"Booth, thanks for letting me be a duck." _She figured it must be some sort of inside joke.

She let her fingers feel the words and wondered once again at the nature of their partnership. Temperance's feelings in the first book were embarrassingly clear. She was attracted to Seeley, physically and emotionally. She respected him and trusted him, but she also found him confusing and irritating. Hannah felt like she was reading Temperance's diary.

A brilliant trilling sound brought her attention to the phone sitting on the dresser.

"Babe!" she hollered, "Rebecca's calling!"

"Can you tell her I'll call her back?"

"Umm... sure," Hannah said uncertainly. She had only met Rebecca once, but the introduction had been cool. She had a feeling that Rebecca didn't approve of her presence in Seeley's life.

"Hello, Seeley's phone," she answered tentatively. "Hannah speaking."

"Oh. Hi, Hannah," Rebecca said, surprised. "Parker just wanted to say goodnight."

"Okay, I'll let Seeley know. He said he'll call you back in a minute."

"Sounds good," Rebecca answered, ending the call.

As the cell phone went silent, Hannah couldn't help but notice the text message that was pulled up on the screen.

_..._

_1:58 pm - What's ours is ours, Booth. Is that still true?_

_..._

_I know, I'm sorry. I'm still working on it all. - 2:00 pm_

...

Hannah didn't know what that meant. Her mind went back to their lunch at the diner earlier that day. Temperance was being bitchy about something. She hoped that they had worked it out, because she really didn't want to deal with a grumpy boyfriend for the rest of the night.

... ... ... ... ...

Seeley was on the phone with his son. From the snippets of conversation she heard, she surmised that they were making plans for the weekend.

"No, buddy," Seeley said, a hint of frustration laced through his voice. "No, it's gonna be you and me and Hannah."

He closed his eyes and pushed his fingers up through this hair, messing up the gelled peak.

"Because, bud, I'm dating Hannah. We're a family... Yeah, like Drew."

Seeley was pacing. "Sure, I think she would like that too. But not this weekend... No, Parks, because... Because Bones isn't my girlfriend. But she can be a part of our family in a different way."

He sighed, his eyes landing on Hannah's from across the apartment. "Please, buddy," he begged. Hannah didn't like the sound of that. "Just give her a chance," he said so softly that Hannah almost missed it.

"Yeah, we'll make a plan. Just the three of us." _Thank heaven, _Hannah sighed inwardly. "And then maybe Hannah can join us for ice cream afterwards, eh?" _Oh. Well, that wasn't what I expected._

"Yep. Night, sport. I love you too."

He slipped the phone in his pocket and came to sit next to Hannah. Turning to her and slipping his hand into hers, Seeley said, "Just give it time, okay?"

Hannah nodded, trying to keep the tears from invading her eyes.

"He misses Bones. They were really close at one point. He hasn't seen her in months."

Hannah remembered the picture of Temperance and Parker admiring the ant hill. "I'm sure it's a big change for him," she whispered.

Seeley squeezed her hand. "He'll warm up to you, babe."

... ... ... ... ...

Parker didn't warm up to her.

He was even more sullen around her than last time. He answered her questions apathetically, if he answered them at all. Hannah just didn't know how to engage him.

"Dad, could I call Dr. Bones and see what she's doing today?" Seeley sighed in defeat. He had been trying all morning to get Parker and Hannah talking, but it seemed to only be making things worse.

"Sure, Parks," he said, handing Parker his cell phone.

Temperance's number was on speed dial, of course, but Parker punched it in from memory. His eyes were eager.

"Dr. Bones!" He exclaimed when she answered. "Hi. What are you doing today?" His face was bright with excitement.

"Oh. What's 'homo habilis'?" he asked, scrunching up his face. "Cool," came his response. "Well, when you're done with that, do you want to hang out with me?" Parker smiled and looked up at his dad. "Yeah, okay. I'll ask dad."

Booth looked at him questioningly.

"Dr. Bones said that we can go to a real apple orchard and pick our own apples. She said that they even let you see how they make cider!"

"Sure, bud, if that's what you want to do."

Parker relayed the information to Temperance. "She wants to know if it's just me and her or if you and Hannah will be coming, too."

Seeley looked at Hannah, who rolled her eyes. Hannah was adventurous. She liked dodging bullets and stirring the pot. She didn't even mind getting a little dirty if she had to. If couldn't be staring death in the face, her second choice was to lie on a beach with a strong drink. Picking apples with a ten year old was way down on her list. Way, _way_ down. But there was no way in hell that she was going to to let Temperance and Seeley play mommy and daddy with Parker.

"Yeah, sounds great!" she said with a little too much enthusiasm. Seeley nodded, "Yeah, I think we could all go."

... ... ... ... ...

They planned to meet Temperance at the entrance to Wheeler Family Farms. There were sculptures made out of hay bales flocking the gateway. As they pulled into the parking lot, Parker pointed out everything.

"Look, dad! We should pick pumpkins today! Oh, wow, look at all those goats!" He pointed to a petting zoo filled with children and small animals. "Awesome, a hay ride!" Seeley was laughing at his enthusiasm, which made Hannah smile too. He took a hand from the steering wheel and laced his fingers through hers. "This was a good idea," he grinned. "Thanks for coming."

They stepped outside the SUV and saw Temperance approaching, a small backpack slung over her shoulders. "Parker!" she exclaimed happily, running to meet him and scoop him up into a hug. Hannah always forgot how strong she was. "You've grown so much!" she laughed, setting him down and stepping back to admire him. "You're going to be bigger than me soon." She laid an arm across his shoulders and he wrapped his around her waist, both beaming.

"Hey, Bones," Seeley greeted her happily. "_Great_ idea. This place looks awesome!" Temperance glowed at his praise despite their argument the day before.

"Hi, Hannah," she acknowledged with a nod of her head. Hannah forced a smile and slipped her hand into Seeley's. Temperance looked away.

"Okay, Parker, what should we do first?" Seeley asked.

"_First_," Brennan answered, "we all need to apply sunscreen. Just because the air feels cooler doesn't mean that the UV rays from the sun are any less harmful." She pulled a bottle of sunscreen from the side of her backpack and squirted a glob into Parker's outstretched hand. "Make sure you get your face, ears, and neck," she instructed.

She walked over to Booth and Hannah. Immediately, Hannah waved her off in protest. "No, thank you Temperance. I don't usually burn."

Brennan frowned a little. "Judging by your blonde hair and fine complexion, I would guess that your skin is actually quite susceptible to sunburns." But she didn't push it. Instead, she turned to face Seeley and held out the tube expectantly. He laughed. "Nah, Bones. I am a-okay." She raised an eyebrow.

"At least get the tips of your ears, Booth. Otherwise I'll be listening to you complain for a week." He sighed, looking a little amused at her mothering. "Fine," he said and held his hand out. Temperance squeezed a small amount into his palm before applying her own sunscreen. For some reason the entire exchange rubbed Hannah the wrong way.

Finally, they made their way to the gate and looked around the farm. Parker suggested that they pick apples first, so they purchased a few collecting bags and waited in line for the hay ride that would take them out to the orchard. Parker swatted nervously at the bees buzzing around their heads.

"Parker, did you know that a honey bee only produces about 1/12 of a teaspoon of honey in its entire lifetime?" He thought about it for a moment, distracted.

"Wow, that's not very much! I think I put more than that on my PB&amp;H sandwiches."

Seeley laughed. Hannah piped up, "You know, bees won't sting you if you leave them alone."

Temperance shook her head. "That is not entirely accurate. Bees will sting you if they feel that you are in some way endangering their hive. They are not intelligent creatures, as far as we know, so a bee could theoretically sting someone who was leaving them alone." Parker looked nervous again. Hannah looked at Seeley for help, but he just shrugged.

"However, bees communicate by dancing, which is pretty smart if you ask me."

"Dr. Bones," Parker squinted at her suspiciously, "are you pullin' my leg?"

Temperance and Seeley laughed heartily. Hannah smiled, but couldn't bring herself to chuckle.

"While I am not actually tugging on any of your limbs, I do understand the colloquialism. No, Parker, I'm being truthful. When a honey bee finds a good supply of nectar, she goes back to the hive and communicates the location to the other bees with little movements called a 'waggle dance'. That's how the other bees know where to find the flowers." Parker's eyes grew wide. "Science is so cool," he said reverently, drawing another laugh from his dad.

When the tractor pulled up, the foursome climbed onto the trailer and sat on a hay bale. After a bumpy ride to the orchard, they were soon picking apples.

Hannah was hot and sweaty. She could feel the heat of a sunburn on the back of her neck, which made her even more irritable. Parker, Seeley, and Temperance seemed to be having fun. Temperance had explained to them all what to look for when choosing an apple to pick. Their bags were almost full when Hannah heard a sharp gasp and a hard smack as Brennan hit the ground. She had been standing on a small ladder, trying to reach a cluster of delicious looking pink apples, when she lost her balance and fell backwards.

"Bones!" Seeley ran over to her quickly and knelt down beside her. "Are you okay?" His eyes were wide with fear.

She sat up stiffly and reached to feel her left elbow. "Yes, Booth, I'm fine," she said, annoyed at his melodramatic reaction. "My left ulna absorbed most of the blow, but it doesn't seem to be broken." Booth took her arm gently and inspected her elbow.

"Jeez, Bones, you gave me a heart attack," he muttered. Parker and Hannah had joined him kneeling next to her.

Embarrassed and annoyed, Temperance muttered, "It's not a big deal, Booth. I'm _fine._" Seeley offered her a hand to help her stand up, but she refused, standing on her own.

Hannah had seen the look on Seeley's face at the sound of Brennan's gasp. She had seen the terror in his eyes. She was pretty sure that he hadn't ever looked so concerned about Hannah, even after she'd been shot.

"What's an ulna?" Parker piped up after Temperance rose to her feet again. She grabbed his elbow and shook it playfully and then motioned down the length of his forearm. "It starts here and runs all the way to your wrist."

Seeley was still breathing a little faster than usual. Hannah looped her arms around his middle and gave him a quick squeeze. He kissed the top of her head gratefully.

"Okay, kids," he said jovially, "where to next?"

... ... ... ... ...

They spent the rest of the afternoon wandering around the farm, admiring the clever pumpkin sculptures and harvest decorations. They played corn hole (Seeley won) and fed the goats. There was a small store by the entrance where they bought fresh apple cider and apple flavored doughnuts. Feeling threatened by the obvious bond that Temperance had with Parker, Hannah made it a point to cling to Seeley's arm the entire time. She vindictively hoped that Temperance noticed.

"I really missed you, Dr. Bones. As much as I missed my dad." Parker leaned an elbow on the picnic table and took a large gulp of cider.

Brennan ruffled his golden curls. "I missed you too, Parker. I thought about you a lot while I was gone." Her eyes flicked almost subconsciously towards Seeley. His reaction was nearly imperceptible. If Hannah hadn't been pressed close to his side, she would have missed if. It was as if a chill ran through him from head to toe.

"Did you find the bones you were looking for?"

"No, not enough to justify the trip," she replied. "But I did see a magnificent lizard called a Komodo dragon. It is the largest living reptile on earth. Some of them are bigger than me. Scientists believe that they are the closest species we have to dinosaurs, perhaps even descendants of dinosaurs. Would you like to see a photo?" At Parker's enthusiastic nods, Brennan pulled her cell phone out of her backpack and passed it around the table. As Booth and Hannah were admiring the pictures, Temperance's phone vibrated.

"Oh, Bones, you've got a message from Hacker," Seeley said, handing it back to Temperance and fixing her with a inquisitive stare. "Are you seeing him again?"

"Dad said he's a douche!" Parker interjected.

"Parker Matthew!" Seeley reprimanded. "Watch your mouth. I didn't call him a douche, Bones. It's just, you know. I mean it's _Hacker_." Affronted, Temperance scowled at him.

"Do you even know what a douche is, Booth? It's a small hygienic device used to insert water-"

"Ahh, Bones, I got it, I know what a douche is, okay?'

"Who's Hacker?" Hannah asked innocently.

"My boss's boss," Booth said with a mocking smirk. Poorly concealed jealousy rolled off of him in heavy waves. "He's been trying to get with Bones for _forever_. But, I've gotta give the guy some props, I mean, he _does not_ give up!"

"Is that why you aren't my dad's girlfriend? Because you already have a boyfriend?" All eyes turned to Parker, mouths slightly agape. Brennan regained her composure first.

"No, Parker," Temperance said gently, avoiding Parker's first question, "Andrew is not my boyfriend."

Seeley's mouth was pressed tightly closed, his eyes focused intently on his cup of cider on the table. Hannah fiddled awkwardly with the edge of the doughnut box.

"Booth," Temperance said cooly, "he asked me to consult on a case for Organized Crimes. Matching a bullet to the skeletal trauma."

There was a full beat of silence.

"Jeez, Bones, I'm sorry," Booth said, shaking his head.

She held up a graceful hand. "It's okay. I can see how you would have come to that conclusion." His eyes met hers.

"Can I pick a pumpkin, dad?" Parker asked.

Never breaking eye contact with Temperance, Seeley responded, "Sure, buddy. Let's go find one."

They gathered their trash and headed towards the pumpkins.

"Hey, Temperance?" Hannah asked on the way, "could I actually have a little sunscreen? I think I am starting to burn."

... ... ... ... ...

As they wandered through the pumpkin patch, Hannah was left alone with her thoughts. If this were one of her assignments, she would definitely have enough proof to pull together a convincing story. Temperance was blatantly in love with Seeley, and Seeley was in love with Temperance. Parker was in love with her, too, in a way. The realization stung more than a little. But, she realized, these past months with Seeley had been incredible, a definite high point in her life thus far. Was she ready to give that up? To concede him to another woman? _Hell no_. And he _chose_ her, she reminded herself. Seeley chose Hannah.

... ... ... ... ...

**Thanks for sticking with me this long. I have had a couple of people send me suggestions. If you have any ideas for a chapter, shoot me a message and let me know. **

**Also, please review! You _know_ I'll be checking my email every 5 minutes, hoping to see a new one. **


	6. Chapter 6

**Thank you, doge, for the prompt for this chapter! **

... ... ... ... ...

Hannah sat alone in Seeley's apartment- _their _apartment- on a Tuesday morning. Without any new stories to chase, her boss gave her permission to work from home.

She liked being there alone, surrounded by all of his things. It gave her an opportunity to carefully examine each item, each artifact of memory from his life. She carefully ran her hands along the edge of a hockey puck he had displayed on a bookshelf. Next to it was an old faded photograph of a small Seeley and Jared dressed as in their hockey gear and standing on a frozen lake. Hannah smiled at the little boy, still present in the man she knew today.

There was a pile of unopened mail resting on the level below. Lately, they had been sharing the bills. Hannah felt that it was only fair. Rent, utilities, and cable- they split them all right down the middle. So as her fingers found the envelope and Hannah opened it out of habit, she truly wasn't snooping. Hey eyes fell on the heading of the letter innocently.

_D.C. Fertility Center  
1042 Magnolia Grove,  
Washington D.C., 20016_

_A fertility clinic?_ She thought, confused. Scanning the letter briefly, she realized that it was a bill. Seeley owed them $44.00 this month, perhaps a payment towards a larger debt. _I thought Parker was an accident. Or maybe he's concerned about having kids in the future. _The cogs in her brain started turning. She should have just asked Seeley about it, but she didn't. Instead, she grabbed her purse and hailed a cab to take her to 1042 Magnolia Grove, bill in hand.

Her heels clicked crisply on the marble tile as she made her way to the receptionist's desk. The young woman looked exhausted. There were bags beneath her naked eyes. She was wearing pink scrubs and her hair was pulled back into a messy bun, looking as though it was still wet when she put it up. She barely looked up at Hannah. "How can I help you?"

"Hi, I was wondering if I can pay my bill here?"

"Name?" the woman asked flatly.

"Hannah Booth, but my husband is the... client. Seeley Booth."

"B-O-O-T-H?" she spelled.

"Yes," Hannah nodded, chewing her lip nervously.

"Okay, it looks like you owe $44.00 even. You can make a check out to D.C. Fertility Center."

"Oh, could I pay with cash?"

The receptionist nodded indifferently. "That would be fine."

As Hannah withdrew the bills from her purse, she asked, "Now, are you able to see how many months we have left before the balance is paid in full?"

The receptionist looked at her, confused, and then double checked the computer screen. "Mrs. Booth, the charge is for the continuation of our services. Space in our storage facility is in high demand. You can stop paying whenever you're no longer in need of the sample."

Fighting the lines of confusion she could feel forming on her face, Hannah said, "Oh, right. I'm sorry, I'm not thinking clearly today. Would it be possible to get a copy of our file for our records?"

"Sure," the receptionist said, bored again. "I just need to see a copy of your drivers license or photo I.D. in order to release medical records." She said it mechanically, like it was a line that she recited over and over again. She was squinting at her computer screen.

Hannah swallowed. Her photo I.D. did not say _Hannah Booth_. How was she going to play that one off? She slipped her photo on the counter, praying that the woman wouldn't pay too much attention to her name.

But before she could even look at the I.D., the receptionist said, "Hmm... It looks like I can actually only release this file to a Mr. Seeley Booth or Dr. Temperance Brennan."

Hannah scowled. "There must be a mistake. I'm his wife. Dr. Brennan is his co-worker."

"I'm sorry, ma'am. That's what it says in the file. One of them will need to be here in order to change that." At Hannah's frustrated sigh, the woman continued. "I have to follow the rules, Mrs. Booth. Would you like a receipt?"

"No, thank you."

Irritated, Hannah marched out of the building. As she waited for a cab, she made a calculated decision. She could confront Seeley and risk the argument that would undoubtedly end poorly, or she could find Temperance. Seeley would probably not tell the truth, but Brennan might be a little easier to manipulate. Hannah pulled out her phone and let her fingers form a short message.

_..._

_Hey lady! Drinks 2night? Just us. _\- 10:16

...

10:19- _Yes, that sounds appealing. I'll call you when I finish with work for the evening._

_..._

_Girls night! - _10:19

... ... ... ... ...

Hannah and Temperance sat at a small table near the edge of the dance floor. The music pulsed loudly, which provided just enough noise to keep the conversation from getting too awkward. Both women were running out of topics for small talk. They had each finished their second drinks. Hannah judged that Brennan was relaxed enough for the real reason behind her invitation to drinks.

"Temperance, can I ask you something?"

"Yes. In fact, you already did," she remarked with a smile, as if waiting for Hannah to get the joke.

"Always so literal," Hannah said with a short laugh. "Well, I was wondering if you knew anything about this." She pulled the bill out of her clutch and smoothed it out on the tabletop.

Temperance's shrewd eyes recognized what it was almost immediately. She straightened in her chair and shook her head. "I don't know if it's my place to tell you about this. Shouldn't you speak with Booth first?"

"Well, normally I would," Hannah began softly, "but I figured that this is probably _sensitive_ information. I didn't know if it would be too painful for him to talk about." At this, Temperance's forehead wrinkled with concern. _Oh, there's a soft spot, _Hannah thought triumphantly. "But I need to know, right, as his girlfriend. So I can help him."

"It is true that I wouldn't want to cause Booth any pain," Temperance said hesitantly. "And this actually pertains more to me than to him."

"_Your_ fertility?" Hannah said, confused.

"Well, not my _fertility_, per se. It's more that my body can only produce one of the gamete cells needed to form a zygote. Booth agreed to supply the other."

"A- a _baby_?" Hannah felt her eyebrows disappear into her hair line. "You and Seeley were going to have a baby together?"

Temperance held up a hand. "Considering the circumstances, I would like to clarify that _I_ was the one who wanted a... progeny. Not Booth."

"But why ask Seeley, of all people, to father your child?"

Brennan looked confused, as though her reasons for choosing Seeley Booth should be obvious to Hannah. "He is an excellent genetic specimen, with all the physiological markings of a good breeder." Hannah looked at her in disbelief. Temperance continued, "His pectoral girdle, for instance, and the width of his mandible, along with his musculature and his intelligence, as well as several other less-apparent traits I have come to admire, such as his bravery and adherence to a high moral code. His tendency towards alpha-male behavior, as well. A child with our combined genetics would be... spectacular." Hannah was shaking her head, mouthing wordlessly.

"If Booth had decided against providing me with his sperm, I was prepared to use a donor from the fertility clinic." Temperance was twirling her empty glass on the table, studying Hannah's reaction apprehensively.

"So... did you?" Hannah asked hoarsely.

"Did we what? Oh, no. No, we didn't. Booth decided that he did not want to contribute, and I decided that maybe I wasn't meant to be a mother."

"Then... why is he paying forty four bucks every month to keep his _stuff _there?"

At this, Temperance was quiet. She ducked her head, keeping her eyes on the spinning glass in her hands. "I am not sure. I had no idea."

Hannah leaned back hard into her chair, throwing her head back and sighing at the ceiling. As she sat forward, she had a plan of attack.

"Why didn't you just sleep with him?" she said, elbows on the table, leaning towards Temperance almost aggressively.

Brennan's eyes met Hannah's, alarmed. "We're partners, Hannah."

"So what? It's just sex. You two are obviously close." She said it lightly, flippantly, with too much carelessness. It was a trap.

"I'm not sure that it could ever be 'just sex' with Booth," Temperance murmured sadly.

"Oh. My. God. You are in love with him." It was an accusation, filled with venom.

"Hannah..." Temperance hugged her arms around her torso in a gesture of self defense.

"Just admit it, Brennan." The use of her last name, normally used by others as a term of comfortable affection, sounded like an insult coming from Hannah's lips.

"There might have been a time when I.. _hoped_ there could be something. With Booth." She spoke softly, giving Hannah the deference she deserved as Booth's girlfriend. "But I have realized that I am not good for him. I would only hurt him."

Hannah's eyes narrowed. "So you don't want to be with him?"

"_No_. He's happy with you, I can see it. I want him to be happy. Besides, the FBI wouldn't let us work together if we were involved romantically."

Hannah eyed her suspiciously. "Do I have reason to be worried? Is my relationship going to collapse out from under me?"

Temperance shook her head earnestly. "No. I will not get in the way. He loves _you_, Hannah, not me."

They fell into a tense silence, each consumed with their own painful thoughts.

"Thank you for telling me, Temperance," Hannah muttered civilly. "But if this becomes a problem, I want you to stay away from him." Blue eyes bored into blue eyes.

Temperance just nodded, jaw set with determination. They soon paid their bills and left the bar, each anxious to be alone.

... ... ... ... ...

Later that night, Seeley's phone sprang to life with a loud ring.

He looked at the caller ID, confused. "Booth," he said anxiously. His eyebrows furrowed. "What? No, I have no idea what you're talking about."

Seeley's eyes locked on Hannah, cool like steel. His jaw was set with anger. "When?" He placed a fist on his hip and turned to face her directly.

"I'll take care of it... No, you know what, stop poking around in my business."

He hung up forcefully, still silently staring at Hannah.

"What was that about?" she asked nervously.

"I think you know, Hannah." She didn't answer.

"That was Angela. She just left Bones' apartment."

Hannah looked at him defiantly, standing her ground.

"What happened tonight?"

"I asked her about _this_, Seeley," she said accusatorially, pulling the bill from the Fertility Clinic out of her pocket and shoving it in his face. Seeley pulled it from her grasp, not even bothering to unfold it.

"If you have a question about me, you come to _me_, got it?" pointing a finger in her face. "Bones shouldn't have to deal with that."

"Well, I don't understand why something this huge never came up before. She asked you to have a _baby_ with her, Seeley! That's not something normal co-workers do for each other."

He was silent, looking hard at the ground to regain control of his temper. "There are some things about me that I'm not ready to share with you yet, Hannah," he said, dangerously low.

She crossed her arms. "But you're ready to share them with '_Bones_'?"

"I have known her for _six_ years. I've only known you for six months. She's been around a lot longer than you, and she'll be around long after you're-" he stopped, trying to minimize the sting of what he was about to say.

"Gone?" Hannah finished for him, angry tears starting to fall down her cheeks.

Seeley softened. "I didn't mean that. I'm sorry." She collapsed against his chest and buried her face in his soft t-shirt. Booth wrapped his arms around her and sighed. "I'm sorry, Hannah. I love you. I'll try to be better, more open, okay?" She was crying hard now. Her body shook against his.

"Seeley, I asked her if she was in love with you, and she didn't deny it." She could feel him holding his breath, but she didn't have the courage to pull back and look at his expression.

"Hey," he whispered, "I love you, Hannah. Anything that could've happened with me and Bones? It didn't. The moment is passed. Now it's me and you, okay?"

She kept her eyes shut, nodding, letting his arms comfort her. If they had been open, she would have seen the quiet anguish on his face as his old wounds were ripped open.

... ... ... ... ...

**Thank you to all of you who reviewed! I love reading them. Please let me know what you think of this one...**


	7. Chapter 7

**Guys, I'm such a dummy. I forgot to explain why Seeley was still making payments to the Fertility Clinic. Thank you to those who asked about it in your reviews. Let's just call this Chapter 6, part 2. **

... ... ... ... ...

Later that night, when Hannah saw Seeley's phone in his hand, agony written all over his face, she knew that she would be waiting for him to fall asleep first again. It had become something of a routine for her. She would lay there, still as a statue, until his breathing slowed and the frown lines faded from his face. Then slowly, carefully, Hannah would slip from the bed. Under the guise of using the restroom, she would tuck his phone into the palm of her hand, close the bedroom door, and sit on the floor with her back to the wall. Then she could take her time, reading all of his text messages from the day.

Sometimes, it was nothing. His texts with Dr. Brennan were usually benign, mostly just invitations to lunch or disjointed snippets of conversation she didn't understand. Sometimes, like tonight, the words that she read, typed from Seeley's fingers, made her stomach ache with jealousy.

They hadn't talked any more about her confrontation with Temperance. Hannah was afraid that she had nearly pushed him to his limits. They held each other in silence for awhile, and then softly agreed to go to bed and talk more in the morning. Seeley had pulled out his phone as Hannah was brushing her teeth. She could tell that he was talking to Temperance because of the longing intensity with which he stared at his screen, as if her words were the only thing anchoring him to life. Once Hannah was ready for bed, she sat next to him and pretended to read a magazine. They didn't say another word to each other for the rest of the night.

She sank down to the floor and opened his texts.

... ... ... ... ...

_I'm sure you want to know why - _10:56

...

10:59 - _Yes, I do._

_..._

_Check your email. On p12 of the document. _\- 11:03

_I'm sorry about tonight. - _11:03

...

11:04 - _There is no need for an apology. _

... ... ... ... ...

Hannah hurriedly exited the text message app and opened Seeley's email. This was something she had been _dying_ to ask, but she hadn't wanted to rock the boat too much tonight. Sure enough, his last sent message was addressed to Temperance. It was empty except for an attached document, labeled "WillTestament SJBooth2009". When Hannah tried to open it, she was prompted for a password. Sighing, she realized that this must be another part of himself that Seeley wasn't ready to share.

She could guess what was contained in the document, though. Seeley had kept making payments to the Fertility Clinic so that Temperance could still have a baby in the event of his death. Hannah was glad for the feel of the cool tile against her thighs. It was soothing. A storm raged inside of her.

... ... ... ... ...

11:08 - _I don't know what to say. Thank you._

_..._

_Don't say anything. After the tumor, I just wanted you to have the option. In case I didn't come back from Afghanistan. Or something got the better of me here. _\- 11:10

_You would be a good mom, Bones. _\- 11:10

...

11:11- _It is typically easier for me to express myself through writing. __Sometimes, though, I find myself frustrated by the limitations of text messages when it comes to conveying depth of emotion. _

_..._

_That's what emoticons are for. Like this :) -_ 11:11

...

11:12 - _I know, you taught me that one. __Is there an emoticon that represents a guy hug?_

_..._

_I wish I could hug you too, Bones. - _11:13

... ... ... ... ...

Hannah slept on the couch that night, telling Seeley later that she fell asleep watching television. The truth was that she couldn't bear to hear him whisper _'Bones' _in his sleep again, like he sometimes did. Not tonight. Tonight, it would hurt too much.

... ... ... ... ...

**I will still try to post my regular chapter later tonight. Let me know what you think!**


	8. Chapter 8

... ... ... ... ...

She knocked gently on Dr. Sweet's office door. He was alone, gazing out of the window with his hands in his pockets.

"Ms. Burley!" he said with surprise. "I wasn't expecting you. It's nice to see you again."

"Yeah, hi, Dr. Sweets." Hannah walked into his office and plopped down onto his comfortable couch.

Sweets followed suit and sat across from her in a small armchair. Hannah clutched her purse in her lap, unsure of how to begin the conversation.

"What can I do for you today?"

"Well... I need to ask you a question. About Seeley."

"Ms. Burley, you know that there is a certain limit to what I can tell you. He has been my patient in the past."

"I know," she said, leaning forward and resting her elbows on her knees. "Maybe as his friend, then? As two people who care about Seeley?"

"Well, let's hear the question," Sweets decided, mimicking her posture.

"Do you think Seeley is happy with me?" she asked, chewing her lip nervously.

"Why wouldn't he be happy with you?"

She sighed. "I think he still has feelings for Temperance."

Sweets leaned back. "Ahh. So you want to know if his feelings for Dr. Brennan will fade or if the relationship is doomed?"

"Exactly! And I know you wrote a book about them..."

"No, no. I'm speaking as Booth's friend, remember?"

"So, _friend_, what do you think?"

Sweets pursed his lips, considering. Hannah fidgeted anxiously with the cuff of her sleeve.

"Hannah, I would encourage you to examine what you know about Booth's previous relationships. Has he told you much about those?"

She shrugged, "A little."

"Okay. Let's begin with Rebecca, the mother of his child. Were things going downhill for them?"

"Well, yeah. They were actually separated when they found out she was pregnant."

"Right," he nodded, "and then..?"

"Seeley proposed."

"Even though the relationship was clearly dysfunctional?"

She sat back and crossed her legs. "He was trying to do the right thing."

"Even though he would have been miserable with Rebecca."

Hannah's glared at him. "That was just one circumstance."

"Okay, so next serious relationship."

Hannah nodded, "Yeah, Tessa."

"What do you know about her?"

"They dated for awhile, things were okay, but then she got cold feet when she realized that the next step was to move in together. He said that he doesn't think he ever truly loved her."

"Exactly. So what do we have here? First, Booth pursues a relationship with Rebecca past the point good sense, even though it would have been unhealthy. Then, he dates Tessa and, once again, pushes a flimsy relationship too far. It collapses in on itself. Tessa was the last serious girlfriend he had."

Hannah put her head in her hands, knowing where he was going.

"Hannah, I have observed, as a _friend,_ that Booth adheres to a very strict moral code. He is a man of his word. Even though both of those relationships were making him miserable, he stuck with them because he had made a commitment to those women."

"What about Temperance?" she asked, sitting up to look him in the eye.

"Well, Agent Booth and Dr. Brennan are a little harder to peg down. I believe that he made a personal commitment to her at some point during the course of their partnership. Not a sexual commitment, but a relational one. You can clearly see how he stopped pursuing serious relationships with other women, apart from the occasional fling, after a few months of working with Dr. Brennan."

"Except for me! We're serious."

"I know, I haven't gotten to you yet," Sweets said reassuringly. "Something happened before Booth left for Afghanistan. I am not sure what, exactly, but something must have happened. Have you ever asked him why he and Dr. Brennan _both_ fled to different sides of the world?"

Hannah felt her jaw drop open. How could she have missed that?

"I speculate that Dr. Brennan 'ended the relationship' in some way. Hurt, he moved on to the next woman- you."

"She turned him down?"

"Well, I don't know for sure-"

"But does he still-"

Sweets held up a few fingers to stop her. "I don't know if he still has feelings for her. But what I _do _know, Hannah, is that now Booth has made a commitment to you. Even if he's not happy, even if he's _miserable, _he won't break off the relationship. In fact, he'll pursue it until he suffocates it. Not intentionally, of course."

Hannah felt the color drain from her face.

"So, if he's miserable..."

"I guess you have to decide how much you really love him. If he's _not_ happy with you, if you think he still has feelings for Dr. Brennan, will you be kind enough, _loving_ enough, to break things off with him?"

"But Temperance turned him down. And he left."

"You can't make someone love you, Hannah." The double meaning was not lost on her.

... ... ... ... ...

It was getting late. They were all gathered in Temperance's living room, relaxing and reminiscing about old cases. They had been taking turns hosting dinner on weekends that Seeley didn't have Parker. Hodgins and Angela were on the couch. Her head was in his lap and her hands resting on her rounded abdomen. Hannah was curled in a large lounge chair and Seeley perched next to her on the arm rest. Temperance sat almost regally in a chair across from them, her back straight and her graceful hands resting on her legs. Temperance seemed unusually quiet tonight, acting with an almost formal politeness, especially around Hannah and Booth.

The conversation was almost meaningless to Hannah. At first, she had tried to keep up. She asked questions when she needed clarification. Someone would always stop and explain the story to her, which prompted rounds of laughter and more memories to be shared. Seeley seemed so happy, so relaxed. He was stroking her hair gently as he laughed and contributed his own nostalgic sentiments to the conversation. The wine and his fingers in her hair and the white noise of their chatter... it was too much for Hannah. She quickly succumbed to the growing weight of her eyelids and dozed off.

When she awoke, the living room was dark. Hodgins and Angela had left. Soft golden light illuminated the kitchen where she could see her boyfriend and his partner washing dishes together. They were talking softly, sharing smiles and laughing quietly at some joke Hannah couldn't quite hear. Together, they were a seamless team, perfectly complementing each other in every way. They navigated around one another in the kitchen with a comfortable ease, evidence of years of practice. Seeley knew the proper place for each dish without having to ask. He moved through Brennan's kitchen as if he belonged there. Hannah couldn't help but wonder how many evenings they had spent like this, murmuring and brushing elbows in the soft light.

Temperance seemed so different now, alone with her partner. She was relaxed, which was something Hannah had never seen. She smiled easily and even started humming at one point. Seeley hummed right along with her, eventually singing the lyrics in a ridiculous falsetto, which made her laugh.

He was smiling at her. He had a special grin that he reserved only for Temperance. It started off slowly, creeping up on his cheeks and leaving happy wrinkles in its wake. One side moved more quickly than the other, so it was lopsided for a moment. It went right up to his eyes, making them glimmer, and then to his eyebrows, his scalp, his ears. Seeley's whole face was radiant in her presence. Hannah longed to be the recipient of that smile.

He must have said something cheeky, because Temperance brought her hands out of the soapy water and flicked some suds at his shoulder. With mock outrage, Seeley whipped his towel at her hip. Brennan giggled and easily dodged the attack. He raised one strong arm and shoved her playfully. Laughing, Temperance had to take several steps to regain her balance.

Hannah had noticed very early on in her relationship with Seeley that he and Temperance seemed to have no regard for each other's personal space (except for when they thought she was watching). They were always touching each other while they talked, leaning too close for social norms. Even now, as Seeley was stretching up to put a plate in her cupboard, Temperance ducked in front of him to reach a towel on the counter, brushing against his chest.

The water was off now, and she could make out most of their words. "Are you wearing a new perfume, Bones?" he asked lightly.

"Yes, it was a gift from Angela. She bought it in Paris." She looked at him questioningly. "If it bothers you, I won't wear it at work."

"No, no, it's nice. I like it."

She nodded. "Thank you."

"I like your regular one, too," he added off-handedly, shrugging. "Familiar."

Temperance tensed, her breath catching in her throat. They stopped and stared at one another, something unfathomable passing between their eyes.

"Booth," she said softly. It was part reprimand, part plea.

"Sorry," he murmured. "I know, Bones. I know."

They finished cleaning the kitchen in silence, the air heavy with the things they left unsaid.

Hannah was surprised by what she had witnessed. She had always assumed that Temperance was trying to pull Seeley away, and that Seeley was trying (and utterly failing) to resist. But tonight Temperance was the one to hold him at arm's length, the one who asked him to stop.

They moved towards the living room. Hannah was careful to keep her face relaxed and her eyes nearly closed behind her hair.

"She's out cold," Seeley chuckled, motioning towards Hannah.

"You and Hannah can sleep in the guest bedroom, if you'd like. So you don't have to move her." _No! _Hannah screamed inwardly. Talk about _weird. _She did not want to wake up in Temperance's apartment and do the awkward 'good morning' routine. It would be like the worst one-night-stand _ever_.

Seeley seemed to agree.

"No, Bones. I think that might be too... much. For all of us. Thanks for the offer, though."

Temperance nodded and hesitated before she spoke. "Will we... Will we ever be the same? As we were before, I mean?"

A dry sob found its way out of Seeley's throat. He reached for Brennan's hand, holding it loosely by the fingertips.

"I don't know, Bones. I don't know."

She reached up to wipe a tear from her eye.

"Hey, c'mere," Seeley said, pulling her in for a hug. "We'll get through it, okay? We're the center, remember?"

"The center must hold," she whispered, eyes shut tight, resting her head on his shoulder. "Booth?"

"Hmm?"

"... They... they were never just guy hugs, were they?"

He turned his face and buried it in her neck. "No," he breathed, holding her tighter.

When they pulled apart, Temperance wouldn't look him in the eye. "Would you mind letting yourself out?" she asked, voice trembling. "I need to go to bed."

"Sure," he nodded. "I'll see you Monday, Bones." He caught her fingers one last time and squeezed gently.

Temperance shut the bedroom door behind her.

Seeley sat down in the chair that Temperance had occupied earlier that evening, taking a few minutes to gather his composure.

Hannah closed her eyes so he wouldn't know she had been watching them. She heard Dr. Sweets' words like a song she couldn't get out of her head.

_"You can't make someone love you, Hannah."_

... ... ... ... ...

**I loved writing the scene in the kitchen. Something about Booth and Brennan doing dishes together makes my heart go all fluttery.**

**Please review! (_P__wease_, _oh pwease!_ as my two-year-old would say.) **


	9. Chapter 9

**Thank you, THANK YOU, for your reviews. I read them over and over.**

**So, this is a short chapter, meant to take place right after "The Doctor in the Photo." Thank you to IHEARTSEELEYJBOOTH for your prompt regarding the following text message conversation.**

**Enjoy...**

... ... ... ... ...

Things were not good. Seeley hadn't come home until well past midnight. It's not like he and Hannah were talking, anyways.

For the past three nights he had sat outside of the Jeffersonian until Temperance emerged. He then followed her from a distance, watching her disappear into her building and waiting until her apartment lit up with a soft glow. For _three_ nights in a row he stayed out until midnight, totally blowing off any plans he had made with Hannah. Seeley tried to explain it to her, but his obsessive need to protect Temperance only served to confirm Hannah's worst fears.

It was true, Temperance _had_ been acting strange. Seeley said it was something to do with this case, something to do with the fact that a surgeon disappeared and no one looked for her. He said she was taking it personally. So there he was to protect her, her own knight in shining armor. Temperance had no idea how good she had it, to have the love of a man like Seeley Booth.

So tonight, when Hannah heard him stumble into the hall and collapse on the couch, she didn't go to him. She could tell he was drunk by the sounds he made, by his heavy sighs and pained groans. She sat on the bed alone, knees pulled against her chest, and listened to him cry. Something must have happened with Temperance.

_"I guess you have to decide how much you really love him."_

Hannah had spent the past two weeks trying not to think about her conversation with Dr. Sweets. She had thrown herself into her work. She was hardly ever home. When she was, they argued. Or they were silent, which was worse. Like they had run out of things to talk about.

The hardest part was that, for a few months, she had finally been _happy_. She had finally felt loved. The thing about Seeley was that he loved extravagantly. Even just a piece of his love was more intense, more _real_ than anything she had ever felt before. When he left Afghanistan, she had become numb again. Surrounded by death and war, the darkest parts of humanity, she felt... nothing. Not fear, not despair. Nothing. How could she go _back_ to nothing now that she knew what it was to be loved, even if only artificially, only briefly. It was still _love_ to Hannah.

His sobs filled the quiet of the apartment, wrenching her heart. How could she do this to him? She was putting the poor man through hell.

_"If he's not happy with you, if he still has feelings for Dr. Brennan, will you be kind enough, loving enough to break things off with him?"_

She didn't know. She didn't know if she loved _him_ or if she just loved how he made her feel.

Finally his sobs turned into hiccups, which then turned into deep breathing, which then faded into the shallow, slow rhythm of sleep.

Quietly, Hannah peered through the crack in the bedroom door. He was a mess. His hair was disheveled and he reeked of alcohol. His phone was in his hand. Hannah picked it up carefully and unlocked the screen.

... ... ... ... ...

_Are you ok? - _4:10

_..._

4:11_ \- Of course. Why are you still awake?_

_..._

_Bones, you understand, right? I can't. Even if I want to, I can't. - _4:11

_Why now? Now that I'm with someone else. - _4:13

_..._

4:13_ \- I find it difficult to articulate. _

_..._

_Can you try? I know writing is easier for you than talking. - _4:16

_..._

4:19_ \- Booth... I can't. __"If I loved you less, I might be able to talk about it more. But you know what I am." Jane Austen wrote that._

_..._

_I'm so sorry, Bones __\- _4:19

_I'm so sorry for hurting you. I wish we could go back to how we were. - _4:19

_..._

4:20_ \- You know we can't. We can only move forward. _

_..._

_Do you want to meet me? The diner opens in 40. - _4:21

_... _

4:22-_ That is not necessary or appropriate. I will be fine. _

_..._

_I don't believe you. - _4:22

_..._

4:22_ \- I will adapt._

_..._

_I know you will, that's what worries me. - _4:23

_..._

4:23_ \- __I'll be okay in time._

_..._

_Don't do this. I know you're shutting down. - _4:24

_..._

4:24_ \- I promise that I'm not. I'll be fine. If you ever really loved me, you have to let me move on. Let me heal._

...

He never responded, but his answer was still visible in the composition screen, waiting to be sent. _"Bones. I'm still in love with you."_

Hannah's thumb hovered over the backspace key on the screen for a moment, trembling. There was the proof, shining back at her in black and white. He was still in love with Temperance. Hannah expected a flash of rage or a wave of jealousy, but instead, there was only compassion. And sadness.

_"You can't make someone love you, Hannah."_

Something had happened that night, and it all came crashing down because of Hannah. She knew that. _She_ was causing him this pain, cutting him open over and over again before he had a chance to heal, torturing him, keeping him from the one woman who was obviously his soul mate. Suddenly, she knew. She loved him. Enough to let him go.

She looked over at Seeley's sleeping form. There were still tears by the corners of his eyes. She leaned down and kissed his cheek gently, savoring the feel of his warm skin against her lips.

Hannah worked quickly, packing her belongings and piling them near the door. She found a pad of paper and painstakingly wrote Seeley a note.

_..._

_Seeley,_

_I love you and I know that you love me. But she loves you more. You love her more, too. I don't want to stand in the way of that._

_Please go to her and make things right. You deserve to be happy._

_Thanks for the adventure._

_Hannah xo_

_..._

With a deep, shuddering breath, Hannah picked up his phone and pressed SEND.

Somewhere on the other side of Washington D.C., Temperance Brennan's phone buzzed on her nightstand.

... ... ... ... ...

**So... what do you think? If I continue with more chapters, it obviously won't be from Hannah's perspective any longer. Would that ruin the story to switch over to Booth and Brennan?**


	10. Chapter 10

**Quick recap:**

**After the "Doctor in the Photo" conversation, Booth comes home drunk. He texts Brennan, but never sends the very last message he typed, which is a declaration of his love for her. Hannah reads it, of course. She decides that she loves Booth too much to torture him any longer. She sends the text to Brennan and leaves for good.**

_._.. ... ... ... ...

_"Bones. I'm still in love with you."_

Brennan dropped her phone on the bed as if it had burned her hand. She backed away from it, her heart racing. _How can he be so cruel?_ she thought, as her breaths morphed into silent shudders. Tears never escaped their ducts; she had already cried her limit that night.

Suddenly resolute, she got out of bed and dressed quickly.

... ... ... ... ...

She pounded her fist against his door, not caring that it was barely dawn, not caring whether she woke the neighbors or Hannah, not caring if Booth would be pissed off.

"Booth! Open the door!"

When she heard nothing, she unlocked the door with her spare key and was about to brazenly barge inside, when she heard movement on the other side. Booth's sleepy face appeared in the doorway, puffy brown eyes taken aback by her presence.

"Bones?" His voice was gruff. She could smell the liquor on his breath. "What are you doing here?"

All of the rage of the previous half hour left her like the air hisses out of a balloon.

"I- Booth, I..." she faltered. Those sad puppy dog eyes always had this effect on her. How could she be mad at him when he looked so defeated? "You look terrible. Are you okay?" she asked tenderly.

He sighed. "I don't know yet," he shrugged tiredly, his shoulders heavy with a tremendous weight. "Are _you_ okay?" His concern was evident, as if his own happiness was hinged upon her well-being.

She ignored the question, still focused on him. "You've been drinking." She stated it simply, as a fact. There was no judgement in her voice. He nodded tersely, knowing that Brennan understood his internal torment. He hated himself when he drank alone, especially when his intent was to forget his life. Whenever he lost control like that, he couldn't help but start to see his father's fingers wrapped around his glass.

Just then realizing that they were still standing in his doorway, he motioned sleepily. "Oh, I'm sorry, Bones, come in, come in."

"No, I don't want to wake Hannah." She was surprised at her own words. Only moments ago, the exact opposite had been true.

"She'll be fine. This is important to me. _You're_ important to me."

He stood to the side and ushered her in. He almost put his hand on her back as she passed, but caught himself right before he touched her. Brennan noticed, and winced painfully at his hesitation.

They made their way to the couch where he had been laying. Booth flopped down and rubbed a hand over his face. She sat nervously beside him, perched uncomfortably on the edge of the seat. He leaned towards her. Their knees were almost touching.

"Are you really okay, Bones?"

She took a deep breath, steeling herself for the hurt that this conversation would bring. Booth would tell her _again_ that he was with Hannah. She was sure of it. But Brennan needed him to understand how angry and confused his text had made her. He had no right to jerk her around like that if he was serious about Hannah.

"No, Booth. I... I thought that I would be okay. I understand and accept your decision. I even respect you more, in a way, for not abandoning Hannah. I don't know why I thought that your feelings for me would remain constant, especially after all we've been through in the last year. And I know that you love her. You _should_ stay with her, Booth. She makes you happy, and I know how important monogamy and marriage-"

He laid a hand on her knee, interrupting her.

"Bones." He searched her eyes with an intensity that made her ever-racing mind go still. "What happened?"

All she could do was gulp and hold her phone out to him with a trembling hand.

"You can't tell me you're still in love with me, Booth. Not after tonight."

His eyebrows scrunched together in confusion. He took the phone and quickly read the words on the screen, shock and concern evident.

"I didn't send that," he insisted, shaking his head emphatically. "I promise, Bones, I didn't. I... I typed it. But I didn't send it. I decided that it wouldn't be fair to you."

"Well, you must have sent it accidentally." She looked away, embarrassed. "I'm sorry." Her eyes landed on a curious piece of paper on his coffee table.

"I'm the one who should be apologizing to you. I sent the message."

She brought her gaze back up to his. "Is it true?" Her voice was suddenly soft; vulnerable. They studied each other for a moment, both searching desperately for something deeper than words.

When he spoke, his voice was choked with emotion. "Yes. I... I can't help it, Bones." Brown eyes burned into blue. "I'm starting to think that I'll never be able to get over you. But I have to try. I have to give Hannah a chance."

"I know," Brennan whispered, looking towards his closed bedroom door, and then back to the small sheet of paper on the coffee table. It was covered in handwriting, but not Booth's. Something tugged on her subconscious mind. "She loves you, Booth," Brennan murmured, half of her mind trying to figure out why the paper was commanding so much of her attention.

Booth's eyes followed Brennan's gaze to the note. He moved his hand to reach for it, but paused before his fingers ever made contact. "Hannah..." he mumbled, as he stood suddenly and walked toward the bedroom.

Brennan furrowed her brow and frowned, picking up the paper with delicate fingers.

"Hannah?" Booth called, a little louder. He walked to Parker's bedroom door.

Brennan's eyes skimmed over Hannah's loopy handwriting.

"She's not here," he said, stunned. "Her stuff's gone."

"Booth," Brennan called out to him, her voice tight with pain. "Look." She stood up and brought the note to him. He read it quickly before letting his hand fall and dropping it to the floor, dazed.

"Booth?" Brennan said tentatively, placing a gentle hand on his forearm. He stared straight ahead, not seeing her.

"She's gone. Hannah's gone."

"I know," she whispered. "I'm so sorry, sweetie."

The term of endearment, so uncharacteristic, yet so filled with meaning, snapped him out of his daze. He finally turned to look at her face. Brennan's eyes were full of tears threatening to spill down her cheeks. She was hurting for him. Overwhelmed by everything- her show of emotion, the weight of their conversation in the car, Hannah's departure, the _mess _he had made- everything, Booth felt his tears coming, too. He pulled Brennan into a tight hug as sobs shook through his body.

"Shhh," she murmured through her tears, rubbing up and down on his back comfortingly, "Shhh, Booth, I know."

His own pain was suddenly forgotten at the sound of the grief in her voice. He guided her head to rest against his chest, placing his chin on top of her hair. "Oh, Bones, don't cry. I'm so sorry for making you cry. I'm so sorry, Bones, so sorry. What's _wrong_ with me?" Brennan knew that he was remembering their conversation from earlier that evening.

"You need to sleep," she whispered, pulling her head back to look up at him. He was a mess of emotion.

"Sit here," she directed, leading him to a chair. She disappeared into his bedroom. Booth was so tired, he couldn't even wonder what she was doing. His eyes raked sadly though his apartment. It felt strangely empty, even though Hannah's belongings had only filled three small suitcases. Brennan returned several minutes later with a small duffle bag he normally kept in the bottom drawer of his dresser. It looked full.

"Come on, Booth," she murmured, tugging on his arm gently and leading him towards the door.

"I thought you said I needed sleep?" he asked.

She nodded as her eyes swept the room. "Yes, but not here."

Relief spread through his chest and trickled down to his fingertips. He hadn't realized how suffocating his apartment had been until she pulled him out of it, like she took the lid off of his coffin.

... ... ... ... ...

**Thanks for reading! Please review, if you feel so inclined. I think I'm addicted to reviews.**


	11. Chapter 11

**I just posted TWO chapters, guys, so if this seems like it's starting in the middle of nowhere, go check the one before it. ;) I think I am going to be too busy to post one tomorrow.**

... ... ... ... ...

Consciousness came to him slowly, like the lights in an old gymnasium. They're dim when you first turn them on, but grow brighter so steadily that you don't really notice the change until you're standing in full light. His senses flickered on one by one, each growing in intensity until his brain was forced to acknowledge them.

Smell. The first thing he noticed was her scent, sweet and flowery and fresh. He turned his face further into the pillow and inhaled deeply. Her smell was intoxicating, his drug of choice. Hannah had smelled good, too, of course. Clean and perfume-y. But not like Brennan. No one else smelled like his Bones. It was familiar and comforting and exhilarating at the same time, and he just couldn't get enough of her.

Touch. He shifted his leg beneath the sheets. They were cool and smooth atop the luxurious mattress. Brennan spared no expense when it came to her bedding, and Booth took every opportunity to tease her about it. Every time she wrinkled her nose at the prospect of staying in some shady motel, Booth would quip that they probably had sheets with only a _half _a million thread count. But honestly, Booth thought that she deserved the best that money could buy. He couldn't imagine her soft skin on the scratchy sort of sheets that were stretched over his own bed. No, Bones was as close to royalty as they come, and she deserved a bed fit for a queen.

Taste. His mouth tasted like the stale remnant of the drink he had used to wash away his pain. Memories of the night before crashed into his brief euphoria, driving him to grip her pillow even tighter and burrow his face into its comforting softness. He took several deep, measured breaths. Once the essence of _her_ had once again quieted his demons, Booth opened his eyes

Sight. Pure light fell in through the sheer white curtains over her windows, illuminating the rest of the room. He smiled at her odd collection of archaeological trophies that she had displayed in shadow boxes. A hand-woven tapestry with an Aztec-looking pattern hung on the wall next to her vanity. Her closet door was partially open, revealing hints of the familiar blouses and dresses he had come to love so much. He could't help but chuckle when he realized that she had not only organized her clothes by type, but by color as well.

This wasn't the fist he had been in her room. In fact, he had been there several times before...

The first time had been shortly after their relationship morphed from a partnership to a friendship. Booth had come to pick her up for work in the morning. She answered the door with wet hair, smiling at the coffee and bagels he held in his hand. He followed her through the apartment as they talked, but stopped suddenly when the reached the doorway to her bedroom. Brennan kept right on talking as she turned into the attached master bathroom, not realizing that Booth wasn't following. She poked her head back out and laughingly invited him in. Booth entered awkwardly. He was secretly thrilled that she offered him a glimpse into such an intimate space. The alluring smell of her soap wafted out of the bathroom.

He sat tentatively on the edge of her plushy bed, not quite able to contain the urge to run his hands over the silky bedding and bounce up and down on the pillow-top mattress.

"Damn, Bones, this is better than a hotel!" he said before flopping back with his arms sprawled out. Brennan's laugh floated out of her bathroom.

"I would hope so," she had chortled. "I sleep in my bed far more often than a hotel."

...

The next time was much like the first, except this time Booth didn't hesitate at her doorway. As she bustled around, choosing earrings and smoothing out her hair, Booth walked right to her bed. The covers were still pulled back on one side (_the opposite of where I sleep_, he noted with a smile). She must have slept soundly the night before, hardly disrupting the blankets, because the rest of the bed was still smooth. He pulled the sheets back up to the top of the bed, shivering slightly at their softness. He longed to grab his partner and pull her to himself in between those sheets. He pulled the bedding taut and straightened her pillows on top of them.

"You don't have to do that," Brennan had muttered, a little embarrassed.

"Oh, yes I do. I'm a military man, Bones, remember? I can't just let a bed go unmade."

...

The next time he was in her room, he was protecting her.

Booth had dropped her off at the door of her building, only to receive a call moments later. Someone had broken into her apartment, leaving the door jam splintered. He ran back up the steps and searched every part of her home with his gun drawn. He could recall vividly his pounding heart and the feel of the feel of her clothes as he pushed them aside in her closet and the fresh smell of her shower as he pulled the curtain back. Needless to say, he stayed on her couch that night. He wished he could have slept next to her in her bed, holding her tight and defending her from the world, but he had to settle for watching her doorway.

...

He did get a chance to sleep on her bed, eventually. He came over one morning, just to hang out. He knocked, but she texted him to let himself in. There she was, bathed in sunlight and sitting cross-legged on her bed, surrounded by piles of paper. She was typing furiously, caught in a storm of inspiration. Her mouth hung open slightly as if she were shocked by the river of words pouring forth from her mind onto the page. He napped next to her as she wrote her novel, content to simply be in her presence.

Little did he know that Brennan wrote almost every Agent Andy scene for the book that day. Something about the way his well-muscled chest rose and fell with each breath made it hard for her to focus on anything else.

...

And here he was now, stretched out between her sheets, engulfed in everything Temperance Brennan. He was glad that she had insisted that he sleep in her bed. Normally, Booth would have refused her offer and slept in the guest room instead, but that morning he had only protested weakly as she pushed him into her room and pulled the door shut behind him. He knew that it was a way for her to hold him, to be close to him, without _actually _holding him. She allowed him the intimacy that he craved while still maintaining their careful standoff. And, God, he was grateful. Booth couldn't imagine spending the night in his own bed, smelling Hannah's perfume lingering on his pillow, reminding him with each breath that she had _left_, just like every other woman in his life.

Well, except Bones. She was still here.

Another sense sparked to life.

Hearing. Booth could hear her moving around in the kitchen. The coffee pot whirred. A delightful sizzling sound, paired with a delicious smell through the air told him what she was cooking: bacon. His heart swelled with affection. Not only did Brennan choose not to eat bacon, but she hated the smell as well. He was touched that she would suffer through making one of his favorite treats simply because it made him happy.

Booth stood and quickly made the bed. He reached into the small bag that she had packed for him and was pleased to find a few sets of clothes and his toiletries. Pulling out his toothbrush, he stretched his arms above his head and sauntered into the bathroom. He squeezed some of her peppermint toothpaste onto the bristles, wondering if her mouth would taste like peppermint, too, and not tequila or gum. There was something achingly intimate about sleeping in her bed and freshening up at her sink... Tasting the same toothpaste and smelling her fragrance clinging to his skin...

Just as he was exiting her bathroom, a soft knock sounded on the door. Brennan pushed the door open slowly.

"Booth?" she called gently.

He walked to the door and pulled it open the rest of the way, smiling tenderly at the woman that he couldn't stop loving.

"Hey," he said shyly, fully aware of the fact that he had just crawled out of her bed. He didn't miss the way that her eyes sparkled briefly as they met his own, like sunlight on the water. His stomach twisted as he remembered the tears that had fallen from those same eyes just twelve hours before. He hated himself for hurting her like that.

"I made breakfast, if you're hungry," she said, carefully looking anywhere except for his bare torso.

"Bacon." He grinned, letting her see his delight. "I can smell it. But I don't think we can call it breakfast when it's past noon."

She nodded, acquiescing his point. "How are you doing?" she asked sensitively.

Booth turned, walking the short distance to the foot of the bed and withdrawing a t-shirt from of his duffle bag. He pulled it quickly over his head as he thought about how to respond to her question.

"I'm... okay, Bones. Really." She studied his face carefully. He walked back over to the door, facing her again. "Thank you for... you know. Even after..." He was struggling to say the words, as though they were too heavy for his tongue. He hoped his eyes conveyed what he couldn't say with his voice.

Brennan dipped her head slightly and nodded. She understood.

"I'm glad you were there, Bones." When she looked back up to him, her eyes were moist with the beginnings of tears.

"I'm sorry, Booth. I can't help but feel at least partly responsible for the demise of your relationship."

"Hey, hey..." He couldn't bear to see her cry for the third time in the span of a day. He grabbed her elbow, pulling her closer to him for a hug. "It was on the way out, anyway, you know?" He inhaled the wonderful, familiar scent of her hair. It comforted him and gave him courage. He _was_ upset about Hannah, but he had to fix his relationship with Brennan first. His own pity party could wait. "I'm honestly more upset about _our_ conversation." He could feel her holding her breath in his arms. He pulled back to look at her face. "I'm sorry, Bones."

"I understand your reaction," she said, meeting his eyes boldly. "You don't have to apologize." But Booth could hear what she wasn't saying. He saw the struggle written in the crease between her eyebrows, knowing that she had probably been chewing on the situation all morning. How could he explain his actions? How did his love for Hannah fit with the undying, unquellable love that he felt for Brennan?

"You know that it was real, don't you? What I felt for you? Before Hannah?" She didn't answer, but just blinked up at him, trying to process what he was saying. "That doesn't change because I fell in love with someone else." Booth said each word slowly, deliberately, trying to work his way through the twisting maze of her emotions to the center of her heart. He knew what conclusions she must have drawn when he came back with another woman.

"If anything," he continued, "loving Hannah only proved to me that I love you more, that what we have is the _real-est_ love I've ever known. But I couldn't just abandon her. Hannah. I made a commitment to her. I never wanted to hurt you, and I'm sorry that I did anyway."

Brennan was silent and nearly motionless through all of this, but he could see her brain working on overdrive behind the cool blue pools of her eyes.

"'Real-est' isn't a word," she said quietly.

Booth smiled slightly, knowing that she had heard what he was saying, but needed time to process it further. "Do you have a dictionary?" he asked, teasingly, running his thumbs up and down the sides of her arms where he was holding on to her.

"I don't _need_ a dictionary to tell you that you will not find 'real-est' in there."

"It's the _real-est_ word there is, Bones."

She rolled her eyes, unable to suppress the small smile that was pulling at the corners of her mouth. "Your bacon is getting cold, Booth."

With a final squeeze, he released her from his grip. "I know you hate how it smells."

She wrinkled her nose adorably, and said, "It's not too bad."

"Thanks, Bones." Warmth flooded from his deep brown eyes, catching her briefly in a wave of tenderness. He knew that _she_ knew that he was talking about more than bacon.

... ... ... ... ...

**Please review! **


	12. Chapter 12

**Thank you, THANK YOU for all of your thoughtful reviews! I get such a thrill knowing that other people enjoy my writing.**

**Also, the language in this chapter is a little courser than it has been previously. There is one F-bomb in here, so if that bothers you, you might want to sit this one out.**

**Enjoy...**

... ... ... ... ...

His eyes followed her every movement. He watched as she arranged his breakfast on his plate, refusing to let him do it himself. She brushed her bangs out of her eyes with the back of her hand and smiled as she placed the food in front of him.

"Thanks," Booth said softly. The tender intimacy of the morning still hung between them.

Brennan joined him with a grapefruit and a spoon. They ate in amicable silence, taking turns blushing when they caught each other staring.

"You know, we still wouldn't be back if we had stuck to our original plan. One year," Brennan said contemplatively. "You would still be in Afghanistan, and I would still be in the Malukus." Her eyes were unfocused, looking far into the distance as if she could see the jungle from her apartment in DC.

Booth nodded. "Yeah. We would still have another two months." He sighed and shook his head. "I hated it. I'll never re-up again."

Brennan scrunched up her face. Booth knew that she had something important that she needed to say, but that she was worried that it wouldn't make sense.

"Spill it, Bones."

She glanced up at him, smiling appreciatively. He was glad that she understood the colloquialism for once.

"I know that we have been back for almost three months, but... This is the first time I've really _felt_ like we've been back. Does that make sense?"

He studied her eyes, a soft blue like the morning sky. "I know what you mean." He cleared his throat and set down his fork. "I'm... I'm sorry that I've been distant."

Her lip twitched into the beginning of a frown and she looked away. "You don't have to apologize for anything, Booth."

"You deserve better, Bones. Our friendship deserves better. We have six years of history together."

Booth could see the pain in her eyes, and he knew that his words must be chosen carefully. He could either heal her hurt or damage the relationship irreperably with what he said next.

"It was hard to be near you when we first got back. You get what I'm saying?"

She nodded. "It was hard for me, too," she whispered. "I thought that being away from you would bring my life back into focus, but it just got more confusing. I missed you."

His heart fell to pieces at her words, disintegrating into an unrecognizable heap. Booth wished that he could pull her into his arms and kiss away every wrinkle of her frown.

"I missed you, too, Bones." He didn't even try and hide the despair in his voice. More than anything, he wished that he could erase what had happened in Afghanistan. He wished that he could erase Hannah. That was a mistake; he knew that now. He just wanted to forget all of those lonely days in the heat of the desert. Booth had been _miserable_. He was always miserable without Brennan.

Her eyes turned back towards his, the cool blue pools of her irises washing away all of the dry, dusty memories of their days apart. Her small smile told him that she understood. She was rain after a drought: an oasis for his soul.

They finished their breakfast quietly, simply soaking in each other's presence.

... ... ... ... ...

Later, they sat at her dining room table, case files and laptops spread out in front of them. Brennan was chewing on the end of her pen. A terrible habit, she knew. Horrible for her teeth. She only did it when there was something she couldn't figure out how to say. Lauren Eames' sad blue eyes stared up at her, begging for something Brennan couldn't give.

She could feel Booth's gaze upon her. He had been studying her all morning. Brennan knew that he wanted to talk about everything that had happened between them, but she could only handle it in short bursts. She felt like twenty years of repressed emotional baggage had exploded all over her neat life. It would take time to sort through the mess. Time and patience.

But she would be different from now on, she resolved to herself. Brennan had decided to be more transparent, more open, especially with Booth.

"You want to tell me what's going on in that head of yours?" His gravelly voice was like a life preserver. Booth always had a way of rescuing her from the stormy sea of her own emotions. She looked up at him with a sad frown. How could she put into words what she was feeling, all of the swells and dips, the crash of the waves?

Somehow, Booth just knew. "This case hit you hard." He stated it without sympathy or judgement. He just let the truth be true. She loved that about him, and she couldn't hide a small smile at the memory of one of Bunsen Jude's rhymes.

"It's a barbarity that clarity is a rarity," she muttered aloud.

"Okay. I'm lost," Booth said with a quirked eyebrow.

Brennan shook her head, "It's nothing, just something the Dude said." She chuckled. "I just meant to say that I appreciate the honesty of your assessment."

He smiled at her playfulness. "So... what was it about this case that shook you up so badly? Was it because you identified with Lauren?"

"Yes."

Booth pursed his lips. "I've never seen you like that before, Bones." His eyes wouldn't let her go. How did he do that, immobilize her with one look?

"Booth... when I looked at her picture, it was _my _face in the photograph. It was _my _voice on the recording." Booth leaned towards her, resting his jaw on a fist. Brennan continued, "I talked with her."

Booth nodded sightly, never questioning her sanity or challenging her claims.

Brennan continued, tasting the words carefully as she tried to explain her heart to the man in front of her. "She... Lauren, she pushed everyone away. Nobody liked her. People avoided her, and her assistants were _afraid_ of her."

"Hey, I'm sorry for what I said about you and your squinterns," he said softly. She looked up at him before she could mask the hurt in her eyes at the memory. He reached out and laid his palm on her forearm and squeezed it gently. His hand was so warm that it felt like it might burn her. "Aw, Bones, you know that they love you. Seriously, everyone at the lab. They've all been freezing me out lately, to be honest, which only goes to show how loyal they are to you."

"I'm sorry," she said sheepishly. "They don't understand the situation."

He dropped his gaze, looking at his fists in his lap. "They understand well enough, Bones," he said quietly, ashamed. "My point is, you're not Lauren. You're not alone."

"I know, but it was like... like the universe was warning me. We were so similar, Lauren and I. She even had the same ring as me, Booth." She twisted her dolphin ring around her finger. She could feel the emotions bubbling up inside of her, and she decided to face them head on. She took a steadying breath and opened her heart up to the man that she loved. "And when I found out that Chris- her partner, her _best_ _friend- _wanted to be with her... Booth, she said no, and then when she disappeared, no one looked for her. I don't want to fade into nothing. I want someone to remember me, to mourn me. I want someone to visit my grave, even if I'm not there to hear what they say. I don't want to be _forgotten._"

He reached out and laid his hand close to hers so that the tips of their fingers were mingling, not quite holding it. "I could _never_ forget you, Bones."

She bit back the doubt prompted by his proclamation, but Booth saw it anyways. She felt like he could read her mind. "No. _No_, I didn't forget you in Afghanistan. Dammit, Bones, why do you think I... _hooked up_ with Hannah in the first place?" He sounded angry all of the sudden. Brennan pulled her hands back into her lap, eyes fixed on her dolphin ring. Maybe she wasn't ready to face those emotions after all.

Booth pushed away from the table and started pacing, running a hand over his face, haggard with exhaustion. He came to rest in front of her. He squatted down so that he was looking up at her. Brennan could feel tears biting at her eyes, and she didn't want him to see her cry.

"Bones. Look at me," he said in a much gentler tone. He tipped her chin so that she was facing him. "Those seven months away from you were worse than torture. I _tried_ to forget you, and I couldn't. Don't you understand that? You're all I could think about. You're still all I can think about."

Brennan blinked quickly, not knowing how to respond, not seeing how his words could possibly align with the last three months of evidence to the contrary.

"Then why, Booth? Why bring her back here? That first night we were back, the _first_ night, why did you show me her picture?" Brennan was spitting the words, like the were toxic and she had to get them out of her system. "What were you trying to make me feel?"

"God, Bones, I don't know? Jealous, I guess? I wanted you to see that _someone_ loved me, _someone _thought I was worth it. And I didn't know that she would follow me back here. I never asked her to do that." He stood up again, agitated.

"So you didn't love her?" Brennan was incredulous, frustrated by his twisting answers.

Booth's hands were on his hips. "I loved her," he said, his voice dropping down to a low murmur, "but that doesn't mean I ever stopped loving you. Even Hannah could see that."

Brennan swallowed, closing her eyes to the world swimming around her. "What did you tell her, Booth? About us. I read the note that she left."

He shook his head. "I promise, I didn't say anything. She was suspicious from the beginning. I told her we were close, but just friends. Partners. I have no idea what she saw apart from that."

"I'm sorry, then, if I any of my behaviors towards you were responsible for her assumptions. I wanted you to be happy."

Booth sighed, flopping back down into the sleek metal chair. "You think I was happy with her?" He looked sad, like Brennan had just admitted something that broke his heart in two.

"You told me you were happy," she breathed.

He nodded, looking for all the world like a lost little boy and an old tired man, all at the same time. "Yeah, I guess I did. I lied. To you and to myself."

"Booth..." she hesitated, "I don't understand what you're saying." Why was he being so confusing?

"I'm saying that it's always been you. I tried to move on. I _really_ tried to commit to her, even after... even after last night." His voice cracked.

"I know, Booth. I told you, I understand."

"No. No, I don't think you really understand. Love's not always cut and dry. It's.. it's not black and white, okay?"

"I _know_ that, Booth. That's what I've been telling you all along. Love cannot be measured empirically. It's subjective."

He sighed, frustrated. "Don't be like that, okay, not after last night. I need you to remember what you felt last night in my car. Because love is real. What I feel for you is _real_."

Brennan could feel the question rising inside her, much like the urge to vomit. She didn't think she would be able to hold it down. She closed her eyes, fighting it, but her body couldn't keep it in any longer. She opened her mouth and the words spilled out, uncensored, uncontrolled. "How can you say that you love me when you abandoned me like everyone else?"

Her jaw hung open, lips parted in shock. "Oh, Booth-" He stopped her apology with an outstretched hand.

"Please don't take it back. We need to have this conversation, Bones. I know- _I know- _that I hurt you. If I could go back and make different decisions, I would. All I can do is ask for your forgiveness. There is _so much _I would have done differently."

He shook his head sadly. Brennan had her hands clamped over her mouth.

"Bones," he began softly, "do you know what I see in my dreams _every_ night, every _fucking_ night?" He was grimacing, pained by the memory of his nightmares. "Over and over again, I watch you get into the back of that cab and drive away from me. Every night."

Her breaths were coming in gasps. He had loved her then?

Booth got to his knees before her again. He took her hands in his. "Temperance, I don't know how our lives would have been different if we had gone home together that night. Maybe we would have never been partners. Maybe we would still be together, in love. I don't know. But I am _haunted_ by the possibility of what could have been."

She felt the overwhelming urge to flee. She couldn't handle this, even after her proclamation the night before. This was too much, too soon. Her heart was racing, and the lack of oxygen to her brain was making her dizzy.

"Bones, these last six years have been the sweetest kind of torture. Don't you understand? I'm in love with you. I loved you long before we became partners, before we became friends. I have had the privilege of getting to know you, of spending day after day with you, but always with the knowledge that there was a part of you I could never have."

"Booth..." She stood up and her eyes darted to the door. Once again, he knew what she was thinking. He stood, too, and held her hands tighter.

"No, Bones, no. C'mon, stay. Stay and work this out with me, please. Please don't run again."

She was backing away. "Booth," she said, her voice trembling, "I just need to get some air. I _want _to have this discussion, but I need to think. Will you be here? When I get back?"

At the promise of her return, Booth nodded reluctantly. "Of course. I'll stay here."

... ... ... ... ...

Her heart was pounding. Never had she thought she would be in this building, seeking out _this_ person for _this_ conversation.

Brennan walked briskly down a hallway to a large room filled with cubicles. She scanned them quickly, looking for someone familiar amidst the sea of strangers. Then she saw her, long blonde waves cascading around her face, hiding her profile from view. Brennan approached her boldly, clearing her throat. "Hannah?"

The young woman turned and locked eyes with Brennan.

"Temperance? What are you doing here?"

... ... ... ... ...

**This chapter was really hard for me to write. I am one of those people who really _feels_ the characters' emotions. Like, I can't watch scary movies or really horribly sad movies because it's like I am actually the one living out all of those things. I'm distraught for days afterwards. Does that make sense? Anyway, I am exhausted now, working through all of these emotions with Booth and Brennan.**

**Also, I have realized that I really like water metaphors. Almost all of my stories talk about oceans and storms and blah blah blah. SO... I'm sorry if that gets old... it's just something that really resonates with me. **

**Thank you for reading. It really means a lot to me. If you wouldn't mind reviewing, it would totally make my day. :)**


	13. Chapter 13

**Thanks for all of the support after the last chapter. Y'all are awesome. :)**

... ... ... ... ...

Hannah was _so_ ready to get out of there. She had arranged a transfer to Baghdad, but she couldn't leave until she had tied up all of the loose ends on her latest story. It was a tough decision, but Hannah knew that, for her, Afghanistan would forever be filled with memories of Seeley. Better to try her hand someplace else. A fresh start.

She hadn't slept at all. She went right from Seeley's apartment to the White House Press Corps office, even though it was barely 5am on a Saturday morning. Hannah wasn't the only one there. Journalists all over the world kept odd hours, even the vanilla variety in DC. No one questioned her presence or the dark bags under her eyes.

With her third cup of coffee in hand, Hannah sat down at the small desk in her cubicle and tried to pound out the last paragraphs of her report.

Then she heard her name, and time stood still.

Temperance.

_What the hell? _Hannah had done her best to push the painful memories of the love triangle out of her mind. Brennan wasn't the only one good at compartmentalizing.

"What are you doing here?" She felt the words brush past her lips, but they sounded far away to her own ears. Nothing could have prepared her for this. She had hoped that she would never have to see the beautiful anthropologist again.

Temperance's face was set with determination. "How could you leave him?" she asked Hannah forcefully. Curious heads swiveled in their direction from all around the office.

"He doesn't love me," Hannah said in a hushed tone, hoping that Temperance would catch on.

"Yes, he _does_," Brennan insisted. "Hannah, I told him that I wanted another chance to be with him. He turned me down _because_ _o__f you_. You can't just leave him now." Hannah scowled at her and held a finger against her own lip, warning Temperance to keep the volume down.

"No, Temperance. Y_ou_ can't leave him now," she said with quiet intensity.

Brennan's stubborn frown was wiped off her face for a second. "What?"

"Do I have to spell it out for you?" Hannah asked, trying to keep back the tears that she could feel clawing their way to the corners of her eyes. How was it possible that this brilliant scientist was so clueless? "God. He was never even... _mine_ to begin with."

Wrinkles of confusion creased Brennan's forehead. "He loves you, Hannah," she insisted. "He told me that he loves you."

Hannah shook her head. "He only shared a little part of himself with me. Maybe that part loved me, but his heart belongs to _you. _He was already in love with you when I met him."

"He might have been in love with me at one point, Hannah, but that was a long time ago," she said sadly. "I have hurt him too much for that to still be true."

Hannah stood up to face her, incredulous. "Temperance, are you seriously that blind?"

"I don't know what you mean."

"_He's crazy about you,_" Hannah hissed.

Brennan just shook her head... as if there were ever any evidence to the contrary.

"You're really that fucking oblivious?" She was having trouble keeping her voice down. "He never _once_ looked at me the way that he looks at you all the time."

That caught her attention. Skeptical lines contorted her face. "And how... how does he look at me?"

Hannah felt like Brennan had punched her in the gut. She shrugged helplessly. "Like you're the reason he breathes," she whispered, not trusting her voice.

Temperance blinked furiously, surprised. "Well, actually, breathing is, for the most part, an involuntary function that serves to replenish the oxygen in your bloodstream."

Hannah rolled her eyes. The saddest part was that Temperance was serious. She really didn't understand how _crazy_ Seeley was about her. Either that or she didn't believe it. Those two needed help. They had been in love for years, and they still couldn't get together on their own. Morons. But Hannah wanted Seeley to be happy...

"Of course. You need _proof,_" she said mockingly. She turned to the desk behind her and pressed a quick series of keys. A moment later, papers were whirring out of the massive printer in the middle of the room. Hannah marched over, feeling a dozen pairs of curious eyes trained her, no doubt captivated by the little melodrama. She grabbed the packet roughly and walked back to the shell-shocked Temperance, pushing the papers into Brennan's abdomen.

"I have _two _Peabodies," she said just loud enough for the nosy eavesdroppers to hear. "I'm a damn good investigative correspondent, and I can site my fucking sources."

Temperance's eyes were racing across the paper. "Hannah? Is... is this...?"

"Proof. I wrote down everything that I observed. You like evidence, right? Well there it is. Everything."

Temperance's face was slack with shock.

"Don't you dare ruin this," Hannah threatened lowly. "I gave up the best thing in my life so that he could be happy. With _you._ If he sleeps alone tonight, Temperance, you're... you're a lot colder than I thought."

Brennan's eyes shot up to meet hers at the last statement.

"Hannah-" she began, but Hannah cut her off.

"Dr. Brennan, I don't ever want to see you again. You or Seeley." She was serious. "I'm leaving DC tomorrow. Now go." She motioned towards the hallway with her hand, feeling an onslaught of emotion rising up in her chest. She didn't want Brennan to see her break down.

"I really need to say-"

"Get out of here. Go now, or I'm calling security." Temperance didn't know it was an empty threat.

Just before she turned to leave, a look of understanding passed between the two women who loved Seeley Booth. Gratitude shone on Brennan's face. And hope.

Hannah watched her slender form disappear around the corner, and then sat back down at her cubicle and covered her face with her hands, trying to find comfort in "doing the right thing", whatever that was.

... ... ... ... ...

**Sooooo... what do you think is in Hannah's "evidence"?**

**Sorry that this is so short! There's _lot's_ more to come.**


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